


Exile

by idigam



Series: Red Blade [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Baby Keith (Voltron), Blades of Marmora, Canon What Canon?, Dads of Marmora (Voltron), F/M, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Galra Empire, Galra Keith (Voltron), Help I've Fallen into this AU and I can't get out, I do what I want, I'm not even into this series, M/M, Thace is Krolia's baby bro, Ulaz is a reluctant parent, adoptive parent stories are my soft spot okay?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-14 20:26:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15396762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idigam/pseuds/idigam
Summary: Whelp, thanks tumblr artists who go and make cute art of a cute AU, and thanks AngelofShadows, Winterysomnium, and Zemmiphobia all of whom made fics that dragged me deeper into this madness. I guess this is happening, my take on Dads of Marmora.Also quick aside, why does everyone call groups of Galra packs in these fics? Not calling them Prides is a missed opportunity I plan to correct.





	1. Castaway

The last time Keith saw his mother he was three, she was looking at him fondly while she held him. She held him so close, and Keith remembers her scent most of all, “I’m going to need to leave you baby. I don’t know when I’ll be back, I need you to be brave for me kit, I need you to be brave for your daddy.”

 

Keith blinked sleepily up at her, “why?” She’s crying, Keith doesn’t understand, he wishes he could.

 

“So I can keep you and your dad safe.” She tried to tell him more but Keith doesn’t understand, it’s too much for him, and he’s too tired.

 

She’s gone by the next morning and his father is holding her knife to his chest, he’s been crying, he makes reaching motions towards his father. He picks up the small boy and puts him on his lap. “Momma’s keeping us safe,” Keith says it with the stern authority given to all three-year-olds who know something important.

 

His dad chokes a moment and smiles at him, “that’s right buddy,” he whispers.

****

 

 

That was two years ago, tonight his father is hiding him in the small dimly lit interior of the ship. He packs several things into the ship with him, a strange device he’d seen him speaking to beforehand, and some of his toys and clothes. “Hold on buddy, this is gonna get you to people who can help,” Keith reaches for him.

 

“Daddy, come with me,” he doesn’t get why his dad can’t come. His father’s crying again, it’s the first time since his mom left that he’s let Keith see him cry.

 

“Please, be brave, and be strong, I need to make sure they don’t get you.” There’s a loud bang from off in the distance, and someone is yelling. “Keith, I love you, I know your mom does too. Please, no matter what happens, no matter what you face, never forget that I will always be with you and I will always love you.” He kisses Keith’s forehead and forces his hands away from him by pressing his mother’s knife to his chest. The ship doors close, Keith screams for his father when they seal and he can feel the take off.

 

Somewhere far below him there’s a loud and deep rumble. Keith cries and clutches the knife as hard as he can to himself. He curls around it like it’s more precious than his life.

****

 

 

He doesn’t know how long he’s drifted through the stars, only the crushing loneliness and exhaustion that comes when terror fades. It’s not the only thing he feels, there’s another sensation, a deep crushing thing in his chest, the boy doesn’t have a name for it, it’s his first brush with despair.

****

 

 

Antok is summoned to the base’s command deck, there’s an incoming craft, it’s moving slow and broadcasting a message that anyone without a Blades cipher would think was gibberish. However, it rings clear as a distress signal, it’s ID frequency is Krolia’s. Though that seems impossible, the small ship makes it’s way to them, Ravian looks at him “scans detect no abnormal readings, only one life sign.” Antok nods and sends a crew to the deck where the ship lands, they stand ready their blades should they need to defend from whoever is in the ship. When the doors unseal there’s a plaintive and high sound of fear from within.

 

It’s the sound of a terrified child, the guards immediately lower their weapons and summon the doctor.

 

Ulaz is rushed to the deck, and after a small amount of coaxing has a small, soggy bundle of child in his arms. The child is clinging to one of their blades like his life depends on it. “Shh, little one it’s alright” he whispers small soothing platitudes to the hiccuping mess. “Lets get you cleaned up and out of these dirty clothes,” he walks into the base with the tiny creature.

****

 

 

Antok has the contents of the ship gone over with a fine-toothed comb. Most of the objects appear to be for the child, all except one. There is a Galra tablet, it has two videos, set to play in chronological order and a lot of files.

 

“Kolivan,” Krolia’s face appears on screen, “I want you to know that I’ve been waylaid, I’m on a small terrestrial planet, the natives have insufficiently developed space technology. I’m working on fixing my ship, it should be finished in about one deca-phoebe, Jorian is dead, I’m fixing his ship too.” She looks sad, “that one I’m leaving here, because it might need to be used. I know I’m kind of springing this on you but.”

 

She holds up the child, younger but recognizable, “I’ve been stuck here for a while, and I made a couple decisions, this little kit is mine, his name is Keith and my blood runs in his veins. He’s a legacy of the Blades, I hope you never have to see this. I’ll be leaving the planet as soon as my ship is fixed. Zarkon’s already started sending scouts this way, but I might be able to lead them away. If I fail, or if the local government catches wind of me, or Keith I’ve instructed his father on how to use the other ship. I’m sending them to the blades secondary outpost. Please, if there’s any compassion to the Blades, if we really are different from the Empire, give them safe harbor.”

 

The next video is a man, among the child’s possessions there was a picture of him taken with some sort of archaic device back on the other world with Krolia and an infant, presumably the child. He looks older, though it’s clear exhaustion has done much of the aging. “Listen, you don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but my wife, or mate, or however you want to refer to her, the person I love, said you could help. She said that if all else failed that I could send him to you. Well I don’t know how it happened but I need to call in that favor. The people after him aren’t the empire that she left to protect us from.”

 

Antok notes briefly with disturbed fascination, that this man, this human if these files are accurate, knows much about the blades. That sentiment had motivated Krolia to divulge secrets that a session of torture with the druids hadn’t been able to extract. He smiles slightly beneath his mask, she’d always been passionate, and that this passion was turned to a human makes him curious about the man.

  
The message continues, “if you’re watching this, I’m probably dead, hopefully I succeeded in taking some of the shitheads coming for us down with me. I’m launching this ship tonight, I’m-” the man chokes back tears his voice cracking with emotion, “I’m begging you, he’s all I have left, keep him safe, be there for him since I can’t.”

 

Antok recieves a report from Ulaz, the child’s blade is Krolia’s and he is her child, further, despite severe stress, and dehydration he’s remarkably healthy. Antok grumbles slightly, and sends off a message to Kolivan, a copy of both video files in it, and he sends a message to Thace telling him that they’ve found information on his sister.

****

 

 

Trying to get Keith out from between the monitors has been a trial that’s taken almost the whole quintant. “Kitling, it is just a scan, I promise no needles,” the little one just glares at him, evidently the doctors on his world used hypodermic inoculation. Something that while the child might need Ulaz wont know unless the boy sits still long enough for a scan.

 

Ulaz sighs somewhat dramatically. He stands up to leave when the kit makes a sound of obvious distress. The smell of salt tinges the air as tears start to fall from his eyes. Ulaz looks up at the ceiling, “ancestors preserve me.” Then he goes back to sitting on the floor staring at the child.

 

After another half varga the little one climbs out from between the monitors. He stares at Ulaz, cheeks puffed out, tears in his eyes but held back by sheer stubbornness. Then in a small almost unintelligible voice he says one word, “bafroom.”

 

Ulaz groans slightly and takes the little one’s hand, it’s one more word than he’s said since he got here so that’s progress.

****

 

 

Luckily for Ulaz the child was exhausted and decided to immediately fall asleep after being scanned, and managing to wrestle a small tissue sample from him. Ulaz immediately had to dig for one of his own bits of contraband sweets to calm him down and convince the kit that he’s not actually some sort of evil sadist. He finishes his report to Antok, still somewhat stunned by the results. A half-Galra, the first from this particular species. Already he’s issuing a more comprehensive report regarding the recessive quality of Galra genes among the species in question when a plaintive wail of fear, one that could have come from a scared lonely Galra kit, only solidifying child’s heritage, sounds from the next room.

 

Ulaz is already through the door, making soothing shushing sounds to the boy, “it’s okay, I’m right here, shh.” The child lunges into his arms and locks a small death grip on his chest. Ulaz sighs, “little one I need to do some work.”

 

The kit shakes his head violently buries his face in Ulaz’s shirt, “no.”

 

Ulaz is already starting to hit something of a wall, “how about I leave the door open my office is right there see.”

 

The kit glares in the direction of the office long enough to decide something then simply says, “no,” again.

 

Ulaz makes a mental note to add “severe separation anxiety” to his report, then he adjusts kit’s grip on his shirt and lays down next to him. The child buries his face in Ulaz’s chest and Ulaz can’t help do what his instincts tell him, he curls around the child protectively and purrs softly.

 

That’s how Antok finds them a varga later, amusement radiating from beneath his helmet. Ulaz slowly and carefully extricates himself from his small patient. “Not. One. Word.” He hisses and the amusement coming off Antok doubles.

 

Antok holds out a tablet, “the kit’s full name is ‘Keith Yurak Kogane’” Ulaz raises an eyebrow at this, “that’s a surprising amount of sentiment from Krolia.”

 

Antok’s posture manages to express volumes about the amount of sentiment Krolia’s dropped in their laps.

 

Antok’s about to leave when Ulaz grabs his shoulder, “oh no, the kit, Keith, has extreme separation anxiety, so if you want this report done, ever, someone is going to need to stay here with him.”

 

Antok tries to leave but Ulaz’s grip is surprisingly firm, sure, Antok’s stronger than him, and a better combatant, and in better physical condition. Still he relents, something about the doctor’s tone promises _Terrible Things_ should he be left alone with Keith unable to finish his reports.

 

“And take off your mask, if he wakes up you’ll scare him.” Antok’s not sure how his unmasked face would be less intimidating but he does so.

****

 

 

This is evidently the right call because Keith does wake up, the door is open so he can hear Ulaz dictating his report. He looks at Antok, who freezes slightly, “Laz?” Keith questions.

 

Antok points and says, “working, didn’t want you to be alone.”

 

Keith nods then curls up in Antok’s lap and goes back to sleep purring lightly as he does, leaving the large blade frozen, as though disturbing his charge would cause the whole base to implode.

****

 

 

It’s early the next movement, when Thace arrives at their rendezvous point Antok meets him on the deck. “You said you had information on my sister?”

 

Antok nods, “but not here.”

 

Thace growls, “what do you mean not here?”

 

Antok holds out a blinder mask, “you will accompany us to base.”

 

Thace is stunned, “what’s going on, you don’t let non-blades into any of your locations?”

 

Antok turns towards his ship, whether Thace chooses to follow or not is his choice.

 

Thace chases after Antok, slipping the mask on once they’re in the ship.

****

 

 

After what feels like an eternity they arrive, at the base, Thace disembarks and is led through the halls to a room. There’s a vid feed set up, there are three files, two are saved vids one dated over a deca-pheobe ago, one dated just over a movement ago, the last is a live feed. The oldest has a frame of his sister, he watches it first. When it finishes with shaking hands he examines the live feed, the medical officer of the base, Thace vaguely remembers him from the time he’d visited his sister, when she tried to convince him to join up. He plays the last video, listening to the heartfelt plea boy’s father.

 

The child is so small, he’s playing a some sort of matching game with a blade, who praises him and provides assistance when needed. Something inside Thace breaks, and he swallows hard.

 

Antok comes in, “can I see him?” Antok nods, “how often?”

 

Antok’s head tilts to the side briefly considering, “for as long as this base remains uncompromised you may visit, but only with precautions, and if we need to flee I cannot guarantee what will happen.”

 

Thace looks out over the live feed again, “and if I’m a blade?”

 

Antok stiffens, clearly startled, “do you know what you’re asking?”

 

Thace nods, “I’m asking to be a part of my nephew’s life.”

 

Antok turns, “it wont be easy, you may not survive.”

 

Thace smiles, it’s vicious and determined, “yes, I will.”

 

Antok nods, “I will inform our leader,” and he leaves, presumably to do just that.

 

“Well,” Thace says to his older sister’s still image, “I guess you got what you wanted.”

****

 

 

Ulaz stops to make notes every so often watching communications officer Ryse play with Keith. The cards were apparently in with Keith’s things, they are tools designed for learning a language from Earth, and there are cards for learning Galran, likely made by his mother. Ulaz makes a note to request more advanced language tools. He’s also discovered that he has to set up visiting hours, since efficiency was briefly affected and Keith ended up slightly overwhelmed by the volume of staff coming to gawk.

 

Unsurprising considering the role of family, particularly kits, in Galra society. Still he’d rather not have to harass, cajole, and, threaten his entire medical staff into doing their jobs every varga. Ryse is currently on Keith watch, evening shift is Illyria, then the morning shift is Vaul. Surprisingly Antok asked to be put on the roster.

 

Ulaz is startled out of his reverie by the doors opening, he looks up to find Thace standing in the doorway. “So they finally contacted you?”

  
Thace shuffles a bit, at a loss, “I’ll be undergoing the trials in two quintants.”

 

Ulaz’s mouth drops open, Ryse politely excuses himself, displaying a greater sense of tact than Ulaz gave him credit for.

 

“I see,” Ulaz has to retake the measure of this man. Keith was sent to the blades, his uncle is his closest, possibly only living relative. But Thace is also the scion of a prominent clan, he has a good life in the empire, and a high chance for promotion. He’d be invaluable as a Blade, and Krolia had been trying to convince him of this. That same life though would be put at considerable risk, and despite his feelings, Ulaz has always had a hard time faulting the man for not wanting to take the gamble.

 

He’s going to risk everything for a half-breed nephew he’s barely met. “How about you spend some time with him before then? The route to our home-front wont be open for a while anyway.”

 

Thace nods stiffly, Keith has already decided to cling to Ulaz, he’s looking up at the doctor for confirmation that this new man isn’t a threat. Ulaz smiles at him, “Keith, this is your uncle Thace, he’s your momma’s brother.”

 

Keith looks from Ulaz to Thace, then back, squints, then marches over to him, points, and says “ _uncle_ ” in Galran. Thace looks like Keith had just recited the anthem of the Empire, the expression causes Ulaz’s normally placid exterior to fragment as he starts laughing.

 

“Very good Keith,” Thace bends down and picks Keith up, seemingly in a daze, “you are just full of surprises aren’t you kit?”

 

Keith giggles as Thace nuzzles him, scent marking the boy, “your momma teach you that?”

 

Keith shakes his head once the giggles subside, “daddy.”

 

Ulaz looks over his notes, “yes evidently his ‘human’ parent was very adamant that he know Galran, among other aspects of his culture. Though it was likely second hand, so I can’t say how accurate what he’s been taught is until I can do more comprehensive tests.”

 

“You said I have two quintants before I have to leave him? May I stay with him for that?” Thace seems very nervous and curls himself ever so slightly around Keith.

 

“I’d prefer it, so far I have to micromanage the entire pride’s interaction with him just to keep things moving. I do have other tasks, and patients to attend to,” Ulaz states.

 

Keith doesn’t seem to approve of this and wriggles out of Thace’s grasp, “Ulaz stay!” He demands, rocketing over to the other Galra.

 

“Little one, I wont be leaving you, I’m just going to work for a few vargas, your Earth dad did that too right? You wont be alone, uncle Thace will be here until he has to go home.” He tries to placate the boy.

 

Thace watches the whole thing with no small amount of awe, Ulaz looks at him and deadpans, “he’s as stubborn as your sister, getting him to do things is easier if it’s his idea.”

 

Eventually Keith loosens his grip on Ulaz’s shirt, “m’kay,” he says while yawning.

 

Ulaz gets a gleam in his eye, “you can start right now, I have reports to file, and at least one idiot recruit to mend, and the kit needs a nap.”

 

Before he can form a thought Thace finds himself putting Keith to bed, when he tries to leave the boy grabs his shirt, and makes a noise of distress that runs right through Thace. He finds himself curling around the boy on his cot and softly purring until Keith finally drifts off.

 

Eventually Ulaz comes in and smirks, “I maybe should have warned you, Keith doesn’t like to be left alone.”

 

Thace just shoots Ulaz his own smile, “where’s the fun in that though?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack for this:
> 
> Leaving Earth: Licht und Schatten by Yutaka Yumada
> 
> Keith and Ulaz: Going Home by Tom Day
> 
> Thace and Krolia: Who We Want to Be by Tom Day


	2. Of My Own?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thace's trials, and Keith's new home.

Thace has been staying in a room near the med bay while the group waits for the path back to home base to open. Keith is tearing around the room desperately avoiding Thace, “dun wanna!” he shrieks.

 

Thace is at the end of his rope, “It’s just a bath you’ve had them before, now come down from there!”

 

Keith who has managed to secure himself to the top of one of the medical cabinets just hisses and pushes himself further back into the corner. Thace growls himself ears flattening as he climbs up on a chair, “kitling, I’m going to count to three, then we are going to get you into the bath. If you don’t I’ll tell Ulaz you don’t get any sweets for a deca-phoeb.”

 

Keith just sticks his tongue out, “Laz doesn’t let me have candy anyway.”

 

Thace is at a loss for that, “uh, then no tablet time.”

 

Keith looks unconvinced, “no. I want Laz.”

 

Thace groans “why?”

 

Keith just gives him an unimpressed look, “no soap.”

 

Thace’s fur bristles, “it was an accident! I promise I’ll be careful!”

 

Ulaz walks in and immediately turns around and considers walking right back out. He stops, and sighs, composing himself for what will almost certainly be an interesting story. “What is going on here?”

 

Keith shouts before Thace can say anything in a voice that’s distressingly similar to his when he’d tattle on Krolia to their mother as children, “Thace put soap in my eyes!”

 

“It was an accident I didn’t think he’d lean forward when I tried to rinse his hair!” Thace tries to defend himself. _This is it isn’t it?_ He thinks, _this is all an elaborate revenge scheme for everything I put Krolia through when we were kids. Okay, ha ha very funny sis, now come back and help please._

 

Ulaz puts his tablet down and looks up at Keith, “how about we show uncle Thace how you’re supposed to do it then?”

 

Keith considers this for a moment then slinks towards the two older Galra, he glares at Thace when he tries to reach for the kid but allows himself to be picked up.

 

Thace sighs with relief, “I’m real sorry about that okay? How about after the trials I bring you back a present?”

 

Keith gives him a smile that could only be called radiant, “PRESENT!” He screams with excitement, all suspicion and anger for the bath fiasco forgotten.

 

Ulaz looks at him in annoyance, “you can’t solve every problem with bribery.”

 

Thace just shoots him a look over his shoulder, “hey, it’s a long and proud family tradition.”

 

“Oh I am very aware of that,” Ulaz responds dryly.

 

After a bit of maneuvering Keith is back in the little improvised tub and Ulaz shows Thace how to wash Keith’s hair.

 

“First, let him know you’re about to rinse so he can close his eyes. Then use a wash cloth to keep the water to the back. Pour the water slowly so you don’t splash, then repeat until all the cleanser is gone.” Ulaz explains it slowly while demonstrating, then has Thace do the next rinse, it goes like that until Keith is cleaned.

 

“I’ll go get some dry clothes while you finish up,” Ulaz says and leaves the room.

 

Thace looks at Keith who mopes a bit, “you’re leaving tomorrow.”

 

Thace rubs the boys back, “only until the trials are over.”

 

Keith looks like he’s about to cry, “Ulaz says the trials are dangerous and you might not come back.”

 

Thace scoffs, “Ulaz doesn’t know everything! Do you really think I’m that weak? That some Blades of Marmora test will keep me from my favorite person?”

 

Keith just curls in a little tighter, Thace splashes him a bit, “thanks for the vote of confidence kiddo. This is when you’re supposed to say, ‘no uncle Thace will kick their as- uh, butts, and come right back.’”

 

Keith just pouts a little and splashes him back, Thace smiles, “oh is that how you want to play it? It is on.”

 

The next five minutes soaks the area around the tub and Thace. Ulaz comes back in and puts the dry clothes on a shelf, “what are you two doing? Besides destroying my facilities I mean.”

 

Thace and Keith exchange a silent look, Ulaz tries to step back in dawning horror, “don’t you dare-” before he can finish Keith and Thace both slap water at him and soak the doctor’s face and shoulders.

 

Ulaz looks annoyed, “I’m leaving,” he glares at Thace, “you can dry and dress him.”

****

 

 

When Thace has to leave for the Blades headquarters Keith is inconsolable, Ulaz has been hold up with the boy all quintant just trying to get him to eat. When he’s called in to deal with an accident in the engine bay he curses severely in Olikarian. He runs out of the room, hoping whoever’s on the roster can get Keith.

 

It doesn’t work out that way since sergeant Lys, the one on Keith duty, was one of those caught in the engine discharge.

 

Antok makes his way to the medical bay when news of the incident reaches him and is glad he had the foresight to do so. Keith’s wails coming through the door are loud enough to be heard from the next corridor.

 

He enters the room and Keith huddles back into a corner, Antok briefly deactivates his mask, when he sees Antok’s face Keith relaxes and makes his way over to the captain at top speed. Antok scoops him up and proceeds to pull up some video left for the boy.

 

The child is surprisingly quiet, content, it would seem, that Antok is there. Eventually a tired and haggard looking Ulaz returns, Illyria comes in behind him. They both stop and start when they see Antok, saluting tensely to him. Antok waves them off, “doctor, I believe I must speak with you.”

 

Illyria picks up Keith, “I’ll get started on some math and reading lessons, you get some rest.”

 

Ulaz nods to her and she takes Keith out of the room, he looks at the two officers curiously before occupying himself with Illyria’s braid. “Careful kitling,” she coos, “it doesn’t like to be pulled.”

 

Once they are out of the room Antok speaks, “he cannot remain here.”

 

Ulaz stiffens with indignation, but Antok holds up his hand. “He needs a place of his own, one without a constant stream of injured or sick. You are also beginning to be distracted by his presence. He shall be given his own room.”

 

Ulaz sags with relief at Antok’s meaning, “I will try sir, but I am unsure if he’ll go along with it.”

 

Antok makes a thoughtful sound, “he has been here for a full phoeb, I do not expect him to be fully capable, but he does need to learn self-reliance.”

 

Ulaz nods, “I’ll see what I can do sir.”

 

After discussing the details, where Keith’s room will be, when, etc; Antok doesn’t leave right away, instead he goes into the other room. He observes the lesson until it’s end and Keith is taken for his nap. “I will retrieve his uncle when his training is complete, until then, if you are needed contact me and either I or one of the bridge will look after him.”

 

Ulaz nods in thanks and Antok strides out of the room.

****

 

 

Thace manages to escape the fourth chamber when her realized the “not meant to use that door schtick,” he’s panting and bruised. These Blades jerks don’t pull any punches. Luckily for him neither does the Empire, “Knowledge or Death huh?” He laughs and shakes his head, “I’m just here for the family I actually like.” He makes his way to the door when a familiar voice stops him cold.

 

“What do you think you’re doing here?” He turns, “Krolia?” His sister is standing there, as distant and untouchable as ever.

 

“What do you mean what am I doing here? I’m here for your son! Why are you here? Why aren’t you with him?” He shouts, _she’s here? She’s been here? Why? Why isn’t she with him if she’s alive?_

She sneers at him, the same look she had when he wouldn’t step up to join her in the Blades. When she told him “you know that Zarkon’s wrong and you won’t do anything? You turn your back on what you believe in for comfort.”

 

“If _I’m_ not there for him, if he’s in better hands than _mine_ what makes you think that you’re any better for him? A coward like you, too keen to stay in the family estates than take the fight to Zarkon, too soft-hearted to join him.” She approaches him, her blade drawn and at full might, his is still dormant.

 

She charges him, “You shouldn’t have come here little kitten!” He braces himself but her blade has more reach and he’s cut.

 

He tries to fight back but she’s faster and better trained, she kicks his legs out from under him. Her blade is poised over his throat. One of her legs pins his elbow. “You can’t do anything for him.”

 

He thinks back to it, his limited time spent with Keith, his nephew, her son, he’s going to be alone, his last family ripped from him. Then it hits Thace, she wouldn’t abandon him, that’s not his sister. He reverses the knife grip, “any last words?” She asks.

 

“I made a promise, even if it wasn’t to my favorite kit, I don’t go back on my word,” the blade glows and a dark luxite sword impales his sister. He cries even as she fades and he awakens, sure it’s not his sister, not really, but it hurts like he’s losing her again.

 

He coughs taking in gulps of air, the pressure on his chest felt real, and his body wants air. An imposing masked Blade helps him to his feet, the mask disappears, and the blades behind him deactivate their masks. “Congratulations,” Kolivan says to him, “you’ve awakened your blade, you’re one of us now.”

 

Thace coughs a few more times and then sends a smile that’s more a grimace, and voice dripping with irony says “vrepit sa.”

****

 

 

Keith is not happy with the arrangement, Ulaz shows him the room, and Keith’s first instinct is to stubbornly refuse to even enter it. It’s not particularly inviting Ulaz will give the kit that, a basic dorm, but considering the mobile outpost’s resources it’s not too surprising.

 

“I’ll request some new items for you, so we can personalize it,” he suggests. Keith just stares at the room with a bitter frown.

 

“My room is next door,” Ulaz continues, technically a downgrade from his previous quarters but if it lets him provide some security to the boy it’s no real loss. Particularly since, while the Blades are less obsessed with lineage than the Empire, there are still a few on the ship who would find a half-breed, especially one with little to no Galra traits, abhorrent.

 

It’s funny, his lighter tone, facial markings, and small ears display a lineage with some alien, possibly Altean of all things. These would instantly make him undesirable in mainstream Galra society and those who try and emulate it, but the conservatives on the ship are still more likely to give him deference over their actual commanding officer, who is himself a half-breed.

 

“Maybe that’s why Antok likes you so much kitling, kindred spirits and all that,” he wonders out loud.

Keith makes a questioning sound at him, and he shakes the notion away, “nevermind, how about we take some pictures and plan what your room should look like.”

 

He takes out a device normally used in reconnaissance but one that’s been re-purposed to serve their home décor needs. Keith still doesn’t seem to like the idea but they make a game of it and soon the kit is enthusiastically planning out exactly what’s going where.

****

 

 

Kolivan watches with a detached interest as their newest Blade tries a five on one fight against some more experienced members. It’s clear that he has a long way to go, the Empire may demand some mandatory service and the training that comes with it. But House Hazar managed to keep its remaining scion far from the front lines, not unexpected, just another trial.

 

What concerns Kolivan more is Krolia’s kit, there’s a great deal that could be put in jeopardy if her mission becomes compromised. No they are not the empire, no Kolivan can’t bring himself to order the kit’s abandonment to the bureaucracy of the Empire. Contemplating this, watching the ferocity and tenacity in Thace, in his resistance for the sake of a nephew he’s just met Kolivan is hit with a small amount of inspiration.

 

“Send Thace in when his training is done,” Kolivan examines the reports and intelligence strewn across his desk. It’ll have to be balanced perfectly, but they may benefit far more than they stand to lose if Kolivan’s assessment of the young recruit is correct.

****

 

 

Thace can’t say that Kolivan strikes him as a friendly or warm man, but he’s clearly a man of integrity. The fact that his own second is one of the people ensuring Keith’s safety, the fact Keith even has a chance with him is testament to that. A half-breed, even one attached to one of the High Houses, wouldn’t last long in the Empire. So when Kolivan says he has a mission for Thace he practically jumps at the opportunity.

 

“You won’t like what I’m about to say,” Kolivan begins, Thace knows this is true, he knows it because he’s got a good idea what it is. “You’re a much more useful Blade within the ranks of the Empire, and your House. To that end I want you to bring me the manifest for the Sword of Jazeera, my intelligence says that it will be carrying a shipment of experimentally altered quintessence.”

 

Thace sighs, “yes sir, anything else?”

 

Kolivan nods, “of course it would be suspicious if it was only Hazar’s resources that get hit. I want you to push for the upper command of Zarkon’s fleet and find out as much as you can about the other Houses, especially the High Houses.”

 

“Any one in particular?” Thace asks.

 

“House Drule.” Kolivan says it like it’s a simple thing, like it’s not one of the three most powerful families in the Empire, like it’s not also the most secretive. “We’ve been hearing some disturbing things about them, particularly their relationship with the Druids.”

 

Thace tries to steady his breathing, “yes sir. However, it won’t be easy, House Drule is notorious even among High Command for their suspect methods and ruthlessness.” He smiles wryly, “funny thing is Mother would be positively giddy if she knew the Drule were your main targets.  


Kolivan scowls, “the petty infighting of the nobles doesn’t concern me, Zarkon is our main target, and everything else is a means to that end. Though if you think Lady Dorma would provide you any aid in this be my guest and use her however you can.”

 

Thace salutes and leaves leaning against the door and letting out a breath, “he says ‘use her,’ like my mother isn’t one of the most frightening people in the universe. I guess integrity doesn’t equal survival instinct.”

 

From inside the office is a slightly muffled but audible, “I heard that.” Causing Thace to stiffen and jog to his quarters at a respectable not at all running from your problems speed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Of My Own? Playlist]
> 
> Bath Time Debacle: Imperial City Grand Chokmah, Tales of the Abyss ost
> 
> Krolia vs. Thace: Shadowlord, Keiichi Okabe
> 
> To Raise a Child: Yonah (Piano), Keiichi Okabe


	3. Where's Dad?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walking existential crises called "child."

Keith seems to be adjusting well enough to having his own room. He only comes crying to Ulaz’s room in the middle of the night every couple of vargas _. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating_ , Ulaz thinks with the Kit curled up at his side, it will still be a relief when Thace is back and there’s someone else Keith can turn to.

****

 

Thace enters his grandfather’s office searching for the manifest Kolivan requested, luckily it’s not exceedingly hard to find. “Ah, mother, when will you learn that being organized means anyone can find anything? It’s why I never bother.” Downloading the data onto the chip the Blades gave him he makes his way out into the dimly lit but ostentatious hall of the House Hazar command ship.

 

He’s almost to his personal ship when a sharp voice makes him turn. “Thace? You didn’t announce your homecoming.”

 

He turns best smile he can on his face, “mother! I thought you’d be out of the system for the next movement!”

 

Lady Dorma, acting Matriarch of House Hazar, is a tall slender woman, her face has the high cheekbones and aristocratic features of their line. Her hair is pulled into a braid, but she still manages to have the bangs she shares with her daughter and grandson. “Clearly, you would have announced yourself otherwise, considering you at least pretend to have manners if I’m looking over your shoulder. Why are you here?”

 

Thace gulps, “I’m here because-” she cuts him off with a frown.

 

“That’s mark one for lying to me boy.”

 

Thace makes a sputtering noise, “I didn’t even get to say anything!”

 

His mother gives him a look that he has to try not to laugh at, it’s the same look Keith had given him when he’d threatened the banning of sweets. Annoyed, and unimpressed.

 

“Alright fine, I came here to get my stuff, I’m finally pushing for a position in central command, I was just hoping to avoid an ‘I told you so.’” He rolls his eyes.

 

Dorma’s eye brows climb in genuine surprise, “and what made you change your mind? I thought you said ‘let Emara do the ladder climbing, Ancestors know she wants it.’”

 

Thace frowns at his mother, “then you slapped me upside the head for calling on the Ancestors in vain.”

 

She crosses her arms and give him an expectant look, “that does not answer my question you rude boy.”

 

Thace groans inwardly, “I thought about it and decided that if the Empire demands service anyway, I’d rather not be stuck crawling to you or, Ancestors of the Void forbid, Emara for everything my whole life.”

 

He dodges out of her way to avoid another smack for using the Ancestors, “I weep that you never learned manners, you’d think you were some low-bred unhoused the way you speak.” Then she nods to her bodyguard who promptly smacks Thace over the head for his employer.

 

Thace frowns, “and here I was also going to ask for programs for learning Altean.”

 

Now his mother is suspicious, “you know Altean.”

 

Thace grins and kisses his mother on the cheek, “yes but my squad doesn’t and I want to be able to bring any of them to functions and impress High Command don’t I?”

 

She stares at him for a long while and then pats his cheek, “you have a terrible mouth, and no sense of propriety, but you are actually thinking about your future for once. I expect you to bring home whoever it is you’re courting so that I may thank them for that.”

 

Thace scoffs, “and how do you know this wasn’t my idea, all on my own?”

 

His mother waves him off, “because you are my child and I know you. I shall send your old tutor programs to your ship, it should be enough for whatever unfortunate Lower House kitlings are stuck under your command.”

 

Thace smiles at his mother’s retreating back, and briefly considers one of a variety of rude gestures. If her body guard wasn’t still eyeing him he may have actually attempted one or two of them. “Always a pleasure mother.”

****

 

Keith has gotten much more fussy about baths and meals, on the one hand this clearly means that he’s gotten comfortable enough to be fussy. It also means everything takes at least fifteen more doboshes then usual and of course, much messier. It also makes it easier to tell when something wrong. Other than the usual “drifting through space completely alone because you were forced to leave everything you know and love,” something wrong.

Tonight clearly being one of those occasions, not wanting to start some form of existential debate with a small child (he’s had more than enough of those this movement alone thank you very much.) He decides to finish their routine before he asks.

 

Once Keith is in his pajamas, decorated with things that look a lot like Ythian packbeasts. Keith called it a t-rex, and it’s evidently the “best dinosaur in the world.” When he’d inquired what a dinosaur was he’d received a look that seriously made him question his own intelligence.

 

“Alright Keith, what’s wrong,” the boy stares at his feet probably trying to formulate his concerns.

 

“Where’s dad?” That’s the question that Ulaz has simultaneously been dreading since he arrived and is also in no way equipped to handle.

 

“I don’t know Keith, I know he sent you to us and that he didn’t think he’d still be alive when you got here.” Hoping this forestalls the deeper, more confusing, and entirely unscientific conversation that will inevitably spring up around the concept of death.

 

Keith, wonderful avatar of chaos unrestrained as all five-year-olds tend to be, dashes his hopes entirely. “Where do you go when you die?”

 

Ulaz screams internally and briefly considers calling Antok, or Illyria, or even Ryse, to deal with this and making some excuse to run away. _But no_ , Ulaz realizes, _I’m the respon_ _sible parent, who hopefully wont make the kid cry._

 

“I don’t know kit, lots of people think lots of different things, but we just don’t know. The only thing I know is, people shouldn’t come back.” He says, this with a sternness to his voice, that makes Keith look at him.

 

“Why?” That question is so innocent, and yet.

 

“Do you remember why you’re here, and why we’re worried about you being here?” He asks.

 

“Cause Zarkon wants to kill everyone here,” Ulaz has to stop for a minute, figuring out what Keith knows and what has to be explained is a constant learning experience.

 

“Yes, well, according to the old legends of old worlds, Zarkon used to be a hero. He fought for good, with the other paladins of Voltron. A mighty weapon, piloted by five good warriors. But Zarkon used something called quintessence to try and save himself, and his world from a disaster. No one really knows what it was, he was killed, but he did comeback, the only person ever to. But, he came back...”

 

How does one describe the change from the virtuous hero of legend and the vicious tyrant of today? “Wrong, something in him broke. Now we need to stop him, to save those he wants to kill, part of that means we try and search for Voltron.”

 

Keith puts a tiny hand on Ulaz’s, “I’m going to grow up, and I’m going to be the best pilot, and when I do, I’ll help you an Antok, an Thace, we’ll find Voltron, then we’ll beat up Zarkon.”

Ulaz smiles down the kit, the seriousness of this promise makes him smile, he leans in and nuzzles the boy. Staying with him until he falls asleep.

On his way to his own quarters he finds Lys outside the door his arm is healing well, “you really believe all that?”

 

Ulaz pinches the bridge of his nose, “it doesn’t matter,” it does, it was a bedtime legend he grew up with, it always made the universe seem a little less hopeless and terrifying. “What matters is that it will help him sleep.”

 

Lys makes a thoughtful sound, “he’ll need to learn the reality sometime.”

Ulaz stares at Lys hard, “maybe so, but right now he’s five, he’s alone, and he deserves at least a moment of hope.”

 

Lys chuckles, “sure doc, but you’re wrong about one thing, between you, the lieutenant, and that crazy uncle of his. Void, add half the base to that, he’s far from alone.”

Ulaz stops for a moment when he realizes this, that over the last, Void, almost three Phoebs. He’s become as attached to Keith, as the Kit is to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack for this chapter:  
> Family Secrets: Copied City Keiichi Okabe & Keigo Hoashi
> 
> Bedtime Tales and an Innocent Promise: Return to Slumber Shunsuke Kida


	4. Papoutai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which no one can convince me that Antok doesn’t treat the rest of the Blades’ drama like his own personal soap opera. (Also enjoy baby Galra!Keith doing a blep, the image was too good not to use.)

Antok has had Keith clinging to his back for the last two Vargas, it has made dealing with the crew frustrating. Ulaz needs a break and he volunteered, the senior staff know better than to openly mock or laugh, though a couple of newer recruits had to be taught “why you don’t make off-color ‘two of a kind jokes’ around the captain.”

  
“Sir, Thace has returned from headquarters,” Keith lets out an excited shout before tugging frantically to get free. “Antooook,” he whines, and his caretaker untangles him only to find a surprise. Placing Keith down on the ground the boy immediately runs off to greet his uncle.

 

Antok considers contacting Thace or Ulaz to give them a warning. He decides instead to pull up a seat at the nearest observation monitor and watch the chaos unfold.

****

 

 

Thace arrived at the room he was told was Keith’s, setting down the bags of supplies he brought for the kit. Then he stands up and stretches, letting his back realign with a resounding pop.

 

What he hears the pitter patter of small running feet and is about to turn when a loud excited “uncle Thace!” is followed by a severe pain in his back.

****

 

 

For once things are quiet, so rarely is that the case in life with Keith, but with Thace returning and Antok babysitting, Ulaz has valued this moment. A warm drink, all his paperwork done, nothing worse than a minor electrical burn to deal with. Everything is nice and calm, so of course Ulaz has been walking around a total bundle of nerves. Because it never lasts, that kind of morning is like a message to Central Command begging Zarkon to launch an ion blast down their throats.

 

Luckily the other shoe drops when a very undignified scream is followed by the words “since when do you have claws?!”

 

 _What in the Void?_ Ulaz can’t help but be both amused and curious, he rounds a corner to find a much more purple, and fuzzy Keith clinging to his uncle’s back, with what can be assumed are very Galra claws.

 

Thace eventually detaches Keith who immediately squirms out of his grasp and runs to Ulaz, upset that his uncle yelled at him. “What have you done to my nephew?!” Thace bellows.

 

Ulaz picks Keith up and puts him under his arm, his tongue sticks out slightly, a common sight among Galra kits. “Don’t be such a big baby, it’s not like any of us knew.”

 

Keith looks up at him, “Antok did! He’s the one who let me come say hi after I got stuck in his hood.”

 

Ulaz looks down at him and then spots one of the hall cameras, he places one hand over Keith’s eyes and nods at the camera, “Thace, would you direct the rude gesture of your choice to that camera over there, it would be appreciated.”

 

Thace does so, not once but with a variety, some of which must be quite esoteric.

****

 

 

Once in the examination room Ulaz is able to gauge the changes in Keith’s physiology more accurately. “Interesting, well Thace, based on the small facial markings and more prevalent marking’s on his back and limbs he’s definitely of your House.”

 

His skin tone isn’t actually that different from his human tone, the lilac color comes from the small velvet soft fur covering his body, not too dissimilar Ulaz’s own fur. The hair on his head is longer creating thick side burns down his jaw and his ears look much more like his uncles but seem more acute given the way they twitch to every sound. His large eyes retained their violet irises and pupil but the whites turned yellow.

 

“Any idea what caused this?” Thace asks, Ulaz is simultaneously charmed and annoyed by the concerned parent side of the other Galra. Though that may have more to do with the mystery in front of him.

 

“No, and I doubt I will in another five doboshes before you ask, again.” Thace flushes slightly, _who knew you could embarrass the notorious party boy of House Hazar._ Ulaz notes with some satisfaction, and no, not because he’s cute when he blushes, don’t be absurd.

 

Keith seems to be amusing himself with the small toy packbeast that Ulaz requested for him. “If I had to guess it has something to do with his internal quintessence, that his blood causes an unknown reaction. It wouldn’t be the first time a half-Galra developed odd abilities or quirks, and that’s the prevailing theory as to why.”

 

Thace makes a noise of contempt, “I’ve never been a fan of the reason that ‘a Druid did it.’ Seems overly superstitious to me.”

 

Ulaz looks up at him and swears to all the ancestors that he could kiss the man for that one simple validation.

 

Thace leans over and before he can touch Keith there’s a brief shimmer like a heat haze and the boy is back to looking completely human.

 

Ulaz sighs, “well I guess I’m going to have to include that in the report to Kolivan if Antok hasn’t already.”

 

Thace tenses, curling around the kit, he probably doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

 

Ulaz give him a soft smile and puts a hand on his, “I don’t want him near the front-lines either, but it’s where we all live,” then he looks at Keith and pets the boys hair earning him a quiet purr. He lowers his voice and says quietly to Thace, “one day he’ll make the choice on his own too.”

 

Thace sucks in a breath and lightly bounces the child, “he’ll join the fight, he’s stubborn, and he’s Krolia’s. Ancestors help me, I wish he didn’t have to, I wish he wouldn’t.”

 

“I know, I do to.”

 

They make their way back to Keith’s room.

 

“So I’ll need to leave soon, they want me pushing for Central Command so I can send info back on the Houses. Kolivan wants to know what Drule’s been up to since the conquest of the Vair quadrant.”

 

Keith looks up at his uncle and makes a whine of unhappiness, “you just got here!”

 

Thace looks at him sadly, “I know buddy.”

 

Ulaz looks at him firmly, “you are staying until the end of the Phoeb though.”

 

Thace raises a brow at him, “you gonna tell Kolivan that?”

 

Ulaz just smirks, “certainly, Antok will as well, I did some math on a couple of the files that got sent to us and that’s Keith’s birthday.”

 

Thace hugs the two close, “well I can’t really argue with that huh? Oh! That reminds me, I have some things for you two!”

 

First thing he does is unpack a Galra drone that’s clearly been re-purposed, “I assume it’s clean?”

 

Thace laughs, “Kolivan made me spend a varga with Slav ensuring that it was, that guy’s a weird one, you met him?”

 

Ulaz makes a face, Thace laughs even harder, “yep you’ve met him.”

 

He turns the drone on and it projects a star map of the whole region and every quadrant, from the base to the flag ship of House Hazar, to the planet Arus. Keith’s eyes light up and he immediately starts to look at all the different constellations and planets. “I gonna learn all of these!” He announces in a way that brooks no argument from anyone.

 

Then Thace hands the second case to Ulaz, there’s some stuff for your med bay and there’s some language programs in there. Ulaz examines the contents, “Altean? it’s not exactly a useful language.”

 

Thace bristles, “it’s culture!”

 

Now it’s Ulaz’s turn to laugh at him, “sure, sure. Among the Houses, but fine yes I’ll give him lessons.”

 

Thace is pouting, and okay maybe it’s a little cute, “picky, there’s also Olkarian and Gamorran in with their mister ‘useful language.’”

 

Then Ulaz stops short at the next item, is breath leaving his lungs, “is this?”

 

Thace turns bright red. “Well I figured you’ve been keeping an eye on my nephew, and you’ve been there for him when I can’t be, and I mean it’s not like we know a lot about humans so I figured it be useful.” Thace is babbling, he knows he is, he can’t stop though.

 

“This is one of the most advanced medical scanners out there, it’s not even on the market...” There’s quiet awe in his voice. There’s also certain implications to a gift like this, especially among the Highborn. Even a Lower House satellite like him knows that, so Thace must surely…

 

Thace clears his throat, “I’ll just put Keith to bed if you want to get that set up.”

 

Ulaz can feel his own ears burning, “of course.”

 

When Ulaz has made a stiff yet fast escape Thace turns to look at Keith, who just smiles at him.

 

“What?” He asks the kit.

 

“Thace and Ulaz sittin in a tree~” he chants in a sing song voice.

 

“Bedtime fuzzball,” Thace says and begins a shrieking tickle fight, bedtime doesn’t actually happen for a while.

****

 

 

On the bridge of Zarkon’s Fury, High Commander Mogor looks out over the vastness of space, behind him one of his subordinates salutes. “Sir, we’ve captured the saboteur, what do you want done with him?”

 

Mogor fingers the data chip they’d found in their communications array, “he’s not working alone, I think it’s time to see what Haggar’s pet Druid can do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Kitten Claws: Papoutai, Stromae
> 
> Mystery of the Child: It Began With a Letter Yoko Shimomura
> 
> Stars in the Sky: Wish and Sadness, Tales of the Abyss ost.


	5. Space Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A birthday outing, but as any parent will tell you, no plan survives first contact with the six-year-old.

Antok had decided that everyone deserved a bit of a break for the special occasion and while the whole base couldn’t attend everyone pooled together GAC to send with the people who were. Antok has to stay with the ship, he may have sent a twelve hundred piece with Illyria on the understanding that she would be discreet while using it.

 

Then she’d lord it over everyone as soon as they were back where Antok could watch and be amused by it.

****

 

 

“Why can’t I come” Covax whines, sounding like a kit himself.

 

Ulaz sighs, “for the same reason Antok is staying behind. We need a senior medical staff, and I am one of Keith's primary guardians. Now stop whining like the kit in question and hand me the first aid kit.”

 

Covax hands it to him, then hands him a three hundred GAC, “you better buy him a sweet or something then.”

 

Ulaz glares at the money, “that’s extremely unhealthy for...” He trails off at the look his senior staff give him.

 

“Take the stick out of your ass and let the boy have a treat.”

 

Ulaz marches off grumbling relentlessly about the entirety of the medical staff.

****

 

 

Once their little entourage hits the mall they look around, Thace sulking in his disguise, “why does everyone else get to walk around in comfortable civvies?”

 

Ulaz smiles, and pats his back, “because the rest of us aren’t Highborn celebrities. Unless you want Lady Dorma to see a photo of you with a half-Galra child walking around the mall in the next Empire Quintant report?”

 

Even beneath the helmet he can tell Thace has turned very pale, “I call fowl Ulaz.”

 

Illyria however has already scooped up their giggling charge, “go find a place in the food court, I have a surprise for the kitling.”

 

Then she goes marching off with him.

 

Leaving officer Ryse, Ulaz, and Thace standing there with their mouths open, “how does she just do that?”

****

 

 

Alright Keith you can open your eyes, Keith uncovers his eyes and immediately screams in delight at the colorful store they just walked into with all kinds of things from Earth.

 

He runs over to a shelf with what looks like many boxed construction kits, “this, this, this!” He shouts with absolute glee.

 

Illyria looks at the box, it has small plastic shapes with a system of pegs used to connect them in as many ways as can be imagined. The one Keith wants seems to be based on a popular entertainment franchise. “We have enough for this and two other items, because Antok snuck me some extra GAC to spend on you.”

 

Keith immediately starts looking at everything he can and after a half hour of debating they leave with a small lamp that portrays an undersea landscape and rotates when turned on, the construction kit, and a plush t-rex to go with his packbeast.

****

 

 

Ulaz is making his way around the mall, while Illyria had Keith the rest were allowed to make some supply runs, already Ulaz was determined to pick up some clothes Keith would grow into. What he found was a very old school swap shop. With a Balmeran crystal bracer, designed for a male nobel, done in old Daibazaal style, he’s unsure of what house the crest having long worn away.

 

He does still have to pay Thace back for that scanner.

 

A few dobashes of haggling and he’s traded some GAC and luxite dust smuggled out of the refineries last trip home.

****

 

 

Back in the food court, Ulaz is trying to convince Keith that something healthy would be a good choice. Keith of course is having none of it, and Ryse and Illyria both threatened to tattle on him to Covax. Eventually Ulaz relents and opts to get a handful of cleansing packets because of course nectar cake was going to be his choice, why get something simple when the little terror could pick the messiest and most expensive dessert on the menu?

 

“Whoever you manage to rope into courting you better be rich little one. You are not a cheap date.” Thace teases his nephew lightly while helping Ulaz wipe some of the excess syrup from the kids face.

 

Keith does not seem to appreciate the extra effort, frowning he mumbles, “I was saving that.”

  
Thace laughs, and pulls out a box, “I know you might not have much space to use it but.”

 

He pulls out a ball, an expensive ball given this one claims to have an AI with over four hundred games in it. It’s holographic pattern shifts every so often and Keith shouts, “soccer!” With enthusiasm.

 

Thace smiles and rubs the back of his neck, “you’ll have to explain that one to me kiddo.”

 

One enthusiastic explanation later and Keith is chasing his new toy down the court having decided the entrance is a goal.

 

Ulaz pulls out his own purchase of note, “this one’s for you.”

 

Thace examines it, “aw you didn’t nee-” he opens it and the words die in his throat. “This is payback for the scanner isn’t it?”

 

Ulaz just smiles and makes a noise that says “I don’t know what you could possibly mean.”

 

Thace leans in and whispers, “it is on, mate.” Causing Ulaz to blush to his mohawk.

 

He’s about to respond with something surely scathing and not at all flustered when Illyria comes over and says the two most terrifying words he’s ever heard in his life. “Where’s Keith?”

****

 

 

Keith has managed to figure out the ball enough to set different goals, and the minute he gets bored with one he toddles on to the next.

 

After a while of this he picks up his ball and decides he’s tired and wants to ride on Thace’s shoulders home. Except, where is Thace?

 

Shifting in distress he makes a soft mewling noise that carries until a short pudgy Galra in a uniform on a hover-scooter stops and hops off. “Hey there little guy, what’s the matter?”

 

Keith pouts up at him and hugs his ball closer, “’m not s’posed to talk to strangers.” He mumbles into his arms.

  
The Galra smiles at him, “that’s good advice, but I’m mall security, it’s my job to make sure little kits are safe and were they belong.”

 

Keith thinks about this for minute then says in an annoyed and authoritative tone, “my dumb dads got lost.”

 

The mall cop chuckles and picks up Keith, “wanna help me drive the scooter while we call for your dads?”

 

Keith’s eyes light up like the man had just told him Christmas got moved to tomorrow.

****

 

 

“So you two were too busy making googly eyes, and because of that, you lost the pride’s kit?” Illyria isn’t shouting, she doesn’t need to. Her tone promises violence, or worse, a report to Antok.

 

Ryse has already made a mad dash for the nearest help kiosk to make a report, the communication officer has always had an amazing ability to be elsewhere for tense or awkward situations.

 

“Here’s what’s going to happen, we are going to split up, you will, if you have to, turn this entire mall inside out, upside down, and find our kit. Then we will go back to the mobile outpost, I will tell Antok what happened, and he will decide what is going to happen to you two.”

 

Ulaz is about to speak technically being the senior staff, but Illyria isn’t having it, “you really don’t want to take charge of this situation and you also don’t want me to decide the consequences.”

 

Ulaz shuts his mouth with a snap.

 

The PA system then sounds, “would the parents, Ulaz and Thace please report to the security office to collect their child.”

 

The two exchange a look and make for the security office at top speed.

****

 

 

The first thing the two are greeted to is the sheer enthusiasm of their kit, “daddys!” Keith shouts when the two burst into the room, Ulaz’s heart melts entirely from the one word. Thace and he scoop up the small purple bundle of fuzz and relieved purring and the profuse thanking of the security guard ensues.

 

On the way back they scold Keith severely for wandering off, but the real impact of the day seems to have been driving the hover scooter.

****

 

 

Back on the outpost Ulaz and Thace stand at attention and there’s a tension in the air that precedes latrine duty or something equally unpleasant.

 

“You two got distracted, and Keith, a half-blood of house Hazar, with the distinct markings of his bloodline, managed to wander off. It wasn’t even either of you that found him but mall security.” Antok’s tail lashes back and forth in what must be repressed rage.

 

“You two are Blades, I’m not sure what aggravates me more, your irresponsibility, or your failure to correct your own mistake. Thace, you will be on assignment tomorrow, but the next time you’re in an outpost there will be a comprehensive list of assignments, they will be done, they will be done to the fullest of your ability, which is to say perfectly. Ulaz, you will not get such a deferment, you will be up, before role call, for the next phoeb, and you will be helping in the kitchens when you are not on med duty. Clear?”

 

The two nod, but before the Blades’ second can go any further an alarm blares, Thace and Ulaz briefly think they’re saved. Until Ryse’s voice comes over the speaker, “dreadnought class cruiser exiting hyperdrive sir!”

 

Then a message is played over all channels, “traitorous vermin, this is High Commander Mogor of House Balor. Pray to the Ancestors for mercy, for you shall find none from me.”

 

Ryse’s voice shouts over the radio, “enemy charging ion cannon, brace for impact!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Birthday Boy’s Mall Experience: Altamira Tales of Symphonia ost
> 
> Lost: Theme of Tenell, Okage Shadow King ost
> 
> Mogor’s Ambush: Mordor, Howard Shore


	6. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t think it would all be fluff and smiles and child rearing did you? There’s a war on after all.

Alarms blare over every speaker and Keith holds his ears, terrified beyond reason, the words being shouted aren’t words he knows understands in this context. “Scramble fighters and shuttles, everyone prepare to evacuate to the planet’s surface or hyperdrive, make for the starboard exits.”

 

The whole ship shakes and Keith screams, grabbing his mother’s dagger in it’s bundle of cloth and his packbeast, crying out in dismay. Then familiar arms scoop him up, Ulaz takes him to the ship and hands him off to Lys and Illyria, the star drone Thace brought him hovering close behind. “Get him out of here, I have to evacuate the rest of the med bay!”

 

The two officers nod and take the crying kit from their senior. The doors close and Keith shrieks in terror and unhappiness, the last image he saw of his birth father flashing before his eyes.

****

 

 

Antok wheels to the left, he may not be the best pilot in the Blades, Krolia will likely always hold that title, but he can outmaneuver sentries any quintant. Firing down a couple of them he leads the rest on a chase, the number of ships occupying the battle prevent the auto targeting of the dreadnought from taking out their shuttles. Most of them manage to make the jump to hyperdrive. Others aren’t so lucky, the ion cannon continues to pound the mobile base, Slav’s shields hold up extremely well and Ravian’s fighter manages to hit the ion cannons core systems. He’s immediately mobbed by fighters, Antok only has time to salute the man once before his fighter is driven into the side of the ship, “vrepit sa.”

 

Ravian’s sacrifice isn’t in vain though, the ship manages only to get one more shot out of the ion cannon before the weapon explodes, severely damaging the ship’s hull. That last shot does manage to break the mobile base’s shields though, and the smaller guns begin focusing on the engines.

 

Antok knows what Ryse will do, the communications officer and several captured sentries are manning the base, the living Blades having fled.

 

The base uses it’s last sub-light thrust to push into the dreadnought.

 

Before the two collide Antok can see one of their shuttles get hit, the pilot tries to right it’s trajectory but they’re going down fast. Worse, a small frigate exits the dreadnought before it explodes, a High Commander’s personal frigate, and it’s following the shuttle. Antok sends out an SOS to Kolivan and dives towards after the two ships.

****

 

 

Lys tries to right his course, he tries his damnedest to do it, but the blast took out almost the entire aft fin. Their engines are quickly overheating. Illyria and Keith are both in crash pods, he could get to one himself but if he does there wont be anyone to direct their descent.

****

 

 

The crash pod releases and Illyria stumbles out, she catches Keith and gently places him on the ground. When she notices the figure slumped in the pilot’s chair she ushers the boy out of the ship keeping herself between him and the broken form of one of his caretakers. She returns to retrieve Lys’ dagger, and ties it to Krolia’s on Keith’s back.

 

No matter what happens she’ll keep the kit safe. They move through the ruins around them. They had originally been here to provide aid to the people here. The Galra had decided to make an example after too many demonstrations in response to Zarkon’s crackdowns.

 

What she saw made her turn around and tell Keith to hide, sentries, a lot of them, marching out of an imperial class frigate with the insignia of the empire and one of the High Houses emblazoned on the side. “Bivrok dregs,” she curses, Ulaz wouldn’t appreciate Keith learning that word but fuck him he lost the kit yesterday.

 

Still she hopes he and Thace made it out.

 

“Don’t move!” she stiffens at the sound of the officer’s voice. “High Commander we have another one here.”

 

There on the ridge is High Commander Mogor, head of House Balor, “there were two life signs in this vicinity sub-commander, find them.”

 

The officer nods, and Illyria doesn’t think she just rushes the High Commander, using her luxite blade to cut through the sub-commander’s gun. He grabs her, she reverses her knife and stabs the Galra in the leg, then she drags him forward and activates the explosive in her breastplate. Half a yard from Mogor.

****

 

 

When the dust clears Mogor’s personal particle barrier falters and falls, the explosion having drained it’s reserves. “report, anyone.”

 

The voice of lieutenant Ligur coughs behind him, clearing dust from his lungs. “Sir, only four sentries left, the blast took out most of them. Also the sub-commander is, uh, all over the area.”

 

Mogor curses, “well then congratulations on your promotion sub-commander Ligur. Now take the sentries and find that second life sign!”

****

 

 

Keith cries hard into the hand over his mouth. The other boy, and he’s not much older than Keith, maybe four or five years, slowly takes his hand away once he’s sure Keith isn’t going to give them away. Keith tries to make for Illyria’s blade, blown near to where they’re hiding but the other boy shakes his head and tells Keith to wait. Then he makes his way over to the knife and uses his flexible tail to grab it.

 

In a way it reminds Keith of Antok, but where Antok is furred this boy is scaled, half-Galra like he and Antok.

 

The boy puts the dagger into his belt then pushes Keith onto his shoulders. Even a half-Galra close to his own age is still almost twice his size. For once Keith’s thankful since it means the other boy, who clearly knows these ruins can get him somewhere safe.

****

 

 

Regris doesn’t know who that crazy chick that blew herself up was, but anyone who tries to take out Mogor, especially when he’s targeting a child, well, they were okay by him.

 

The kid seems to be extremely protective of the knives that he has, Regris knows he would have dove out for the other one if he didn’t go get it. So the little kid’s brave, crazy, and possibly kinda dumb, but brave.

 

They reach his hideout with relative ease and Regris slowly shimmies the kid onto a cot, turning around he’s greeted by a sight, the kid, which he had previously taken to be a full alien wasn’t quite so alien. Now covered with purple fuzz and with the yellow eyes marking him as half-Galra.

 

 _Well,_ Regris decides, _can’t very well leave kin._

****

 

 

Keith starts examining the strange devices in the corner, “it lets me listen to the comm traffic around here.” His savior, Regris, says, and shows him a little bit of how it was built.

 

“Can it be used to call my dads?” He asked remembering the PA system on the Space Mall.

 

Regris considers this a moment, “do you have a frequency that you can use?”

 

Keith remembers the thing Ryse gave him after they found him and shows Regris the data chip.

 

“I can probably interface it with our systems, I’d just need to find a compatible port and of course a trans-system output modulator, and we probably need an encryption key unless it’s already encrypted in which case...”

 

Keith can say without a shadow of a doubt, he’s completely lost, he just sits and watches Regris occasionally trying to parse something he can actually understand from the other Galra’s tangent.

 

After about an hour, or varga, which had started to be more natural to him to thinkin than hour, Keith is startled out of his reverie by a loud snarl from Regris, the other boy’s tail lashing violently.

 

“Stupid machine, stupid war, stupid output modulator.”

 

Keith looks over his shoulder in question, “this,” he explains holding up the device he’s hooked the Blades data chip to. “Cannot interface with this,” he indicates the large mess of a machine occupying the far wall of the hideaway. “At least not in a way that will send a signal anywhere, without a very specific, very expensive piece of machinery. One that used to be sold in the shopping center that is now crawling with Galra sentries trying to find us.”

 

Keith looks down sad, “you mean me,” which is when he’s thumped on the head by Regris’ closed fist, lightly enough, but it still hurt. He makes a face at the other boy.

 

“No I mean us ya crazy little Yelmac,” he smiles at Keith and crouches in front of him, “we either get caught together or we get out together, right?”

 

Keith rubs his head frowning but nods, “tomorrow we’ll see if we can play hide-and-seek scavenger hunt with some sentries.”

 

Keith nods again, “but tonight you need sleep.”

 

“What about you?” he asks.

 

“What about me? I’ll be sleeping too, I’ve got an amazing alarm system.” Regris says proudly.

****

 

 

The next morning the two of them make there way out, dressed in drab slate gray hoods to match the rubble around them. Sticking to the rooftops they manage to avoid the sentries, Regris apparently having learned to time them during the massacre. And the bodies left in the streets show that it was a massacre, from what he’s learned House Balor is known for it’s excessive cruelty and vicious behavior.

 

Mogor is no exception, in fact, he seems to be the example.

 

Eventually they come to a shop that had sold what they need, most of the parts have been destroyed. Luckily Regris finds enough to cobble one together. Keith uses wire to set a trap in case any sentry patrols manage to come through.

 

This turns out to be the right call when he manages to face plant a sentry then he takes his mom’s dagger and slams it into the back of the robot’s head where Regris showed him they connect to the neck.

 

“We need to go now Regris,” the other boy nods and they flee with their prize.

****

 

 

They manage to escape to their hideout and Regris reboots his array which begins pulsing with their distress signal.

****

 

 

“Sendak, I do not take orders from you whelp. You may be my heir but you are not the head of this House yet!” Mogor roars into the vid screen. His son remains placid, “this is not an order from me father, this is an order from Emperor Zarkon, the red lion has been found and you have been ordered to retrieve it, I am to assist you. Unless you would prefer I tell lord Zarkon that you are too busy chasing the rebels that, not only destroyed your battle cruiser, but also managed to kill your sub-commander, and elude you on that Ancestors forsaken rock for two quintants.”

 

Mogor can feel pressure in his chest, the increased adrenaline, his House’s bloodcurse, may give them their signature ferocity but the organ failure was a steep price to pay. “Get me a quintessence infusion” he manages to grit out, _damned to the Void if I let my whelp push me into an early grave like this._  
  
“Sir,” sub-commander Ligur orders sentry to retrieve the requested item when he receives a message. “We’ve detected a distress beacon, in the sixth sector.

  
“Father I am in orbit over the planet now.” Sendak is impatient, and the impertinent brat will tattle to Zarkon for the delay.

 

“Send out the remaining sentries, I want a squad to level that base,” he turns to his son, “we’re taking off now, I will be there in ten doboshes, and we will have a long _conversation_ about your lack of respect.”

****

 

 

Kolivan arrived to help Antok search for their troops, most managed to rally to him, they found the manifest for the crashed shuttle. Illyria, Lys, and Keith, with Lys’ body located but without his knife that give them hope that the other two might be alive. Ulaz is beside himself with grief and had to be kept on the ship out of fear he’d do something… Rash.

 

“sir, distress beacon just went active, one of ours but it’s uncoded, half a varga out.”

 

Kolivan nods, “move out be ready for anything, it could be a trap, it could also bring Mogor’s forces in.”

****

 

 

Regris hears the bang outside his door and turns hoping their help has arrived, instead there are four sentries line up in his doorway they raise their guns, he pulls his knife and puts himself between them and Keith.

 

“Guess it’s captured together,” the blade in his hand glows violet for a moment and he’s left holding a long curved blade.

 

Regris charges the sentries and the blade slices cleanly through them as though the metal were wet paper.

 

He takes the first two out before they can get off a shot the next to manage to he deflects one with the blade but the second scores his leg, he screams in pain but still manages to sheer through the legs of number three then he throws the blade through the head of one.

 

Gets shot in the shoulder by the downed three almost gets a more lethal shot but Keith’s already there shoving his dagger into the back of it’s head.

 

Regris nods at him in thanks and Keith looks up “together” is all he says before his eyes go wide.

 

Outside are at least seven more sentries, Regris regrets a lot, mostly that he couldn’t get them off this awful planet.

 

When he’s certain the end is about to swoop down like Voltron avenging the sentries begin sparking more of those blades cutting through them fast and easy. They go down without a shot being fired.

 

Regris grabs his own blade from the downed fourth sentry and holds it in front of him. Shaking as he does so.

 

Keith looks out from behind the protective shield of the older boy but his eyes go wide and he runs to the tallest of the masked figures screaming “ANTOK!”

 

The large armored man scoops the boy up gently, and nuzzles him, “three quintants of terror you have given me kit.”

 

“’m sorry,” even with his voice muffled by Antok’s hood Regris can tell he’s crying.

 

Then someone leans into the second tallest there, “sir, that’s Illyria’s blade.”

 

The leader of the group nods, “yes, and it was used to destroy Empire sentries and protect one of our own. Boy, where did you get that?”

 

He looks guilty, “the last owner, is dead, she tried to kill Mogor, failed, took out his sub-commander.”

 

The man, Regris would learn his name is Kolivan holds out his hand, “you may give us the blade and remain here or be brought to the world of your choosing. Or may come with us. It is your choice, if you choose to come you will not return here, you may die very young.”

 

Regris accepts the hand, “I’ll die young if I stay here. I have nowhere else to go.”

****

 

 

Kolivan’s impressed, the child awakened his blade before the trials, he’ll still need to take them, but it’s clear he’s a blade in all but name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Fall of the Outpost: Night of Fate, Yoko Shimomura
> 
> Heavy Losses: Xion Theme Yoko Shimomura
> 
> Regris: The Call Austin Wintory


	7. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ulaz and Thace have to make a decision, Kolivan realizes he's screwed, and Antok finds drama less amusing when he's stuck in the middle of it.

Ulaz is in the ship repairing the star drone, Thace’s first gift to Keith, the other man had been ferried off in secret, unable to wait for his nephew. Ulaz promised to contact him when they found Keith, and it would be when, he refused to think otherwise.

 

Still his hands trembled and he cursed almost soldering his thumb.

 

He stops, put his head into his hands and wept. Not only was Lian dead, all because he had trusted the one he wanted to declare his mate, but their base, their home, was gone now too. Keith might also be, he sighed, and if he wasn’t he’d be stuck on the home base, not the most inviting place in the best of times.

 

The hiss of the shuttle doors opening draw his attention, “KEITH!” He shouts, Keith looks at him and, he doesn’t yell, based on the way he looks, the kit is exhausted.

 

The sheer weight of how much he wants to be in Ulaz’s arms is nailed home in the tired drawn “da.” Followed by the Kit reaching for him and nearly falling out of Antok’s arms to do so.

 

Ulaz holds his kit, and nuzzles his head, Antok nods to Kolivan, who’s holding a slightly older boy, “that one found Kieth, protected him and contacted us.”

 

Ulaz is impressed, “thank you young one,” he says scenting the other boy who squirms unused to the attention.

  
“Whoa! Is that an R8 celestial drone?” He asks staring intently at Keith’s toy.

 

“’s a present from my other da,” Keith mumbles half asleep.

 

“We found it in the shuttle you came down in.” Ulaz says then he notices the blade strapped to the other boy’s belt.

 

He raises a questioning eyebrow at Kolivan who shakes his head and says, “later.”

 

“Can I fix it?” the boy asks, looking up hopefully at him.

 

“Uh,” Ulaz flounders, “it’s not mine.” He answers honestly, but he feels Keith nod into his shoulder.

 

“Regris is the best builder, he can make anything, he called you,” his kit whispers before finally drifting off.

 

“Well, Regris, it sounds like you have your answer. How about you fix it when we get home though, you should get some rest right now.”

 

Regris puffs out his chest “I’m not tired, I can fix it just fine I don’t” his rant is cut off by a loud long yawn and he stumbles into one of the shuttle benches.

 

He falls asleep almost as fast as Keith still cradling the drone.

****

 

 

Ulaz, and Antok are standing in Kolivan’s office, the head of the Blades sags into his chair, his mask deactivated, and the exhaustion plain on his face. The two are silent, they know their leader has orders for them, but they also know that everyone is hurting, including, no especially their stoic and pragmatic leader.

 

“Seven are confirmed dead, five more are missing,” the tense silence is broken by the leaders voice, it’s as steady as ever but there’s a rasp to it. Exhaustion, both emotional and physical, “of that seven only three blades have been retrieved.”

 

Antok salutes, “we should make plans on retrieving the others.”

 

Kolivan nods, everyone knows about Mogor’s love of trophies, “we will, but he’s the head of one of the High Houses, one of the military houses no less. The Balor might not be among the three Inner Houses but he still holds the Emperor’s ear.”

 

Ulaz makes a small gesture and waits for Kolivan to acknowledge him, “it would seem that he’s actually lost some of his favor with Zarkon, his son Sendak, seems to be the primary reason House Balor continues to hold prominence. It would take planning, and a consistent rotation or single Blade in the Balor ranks, but Sendak will make his move for control of Balor, when he does we’ll have our opportunity.”

 

“Until then, no way Mogor will be able to awaken those blades, they’re going to sit as curios.” Even with the cold scientific way he’s speaking the disgust he feels of even one of their blades in Mogor’s grasp slips into his voice.

 

Kolivan acknowledges this, then he leans back, “Slav has finished work on the gravity generator, and our benefactor has already arranged for parts for a replacement base to be built. Unfortunately it wont be as big or defensible, so only a trusted member of the Blades will be assigned to it, and it will be entirely for reconnaissance.”

 

Antok tilts his head slightly in question, Kolivan pulls up a holo-display of the ship. “The ship will remain completely hidden in a pocket of folded space-time. There are observation drones that exist outside the field, they can be sent to any point the Blades wish to observe, we only need one more thing to complete it. Thace has already been given the mission to obtain it. A quantum entanglement communicator from House Drule.”

 

“Do you think it’s wise to trust such a task to the new one?” Antok asks.

 

Kolivan smiles, “I think that he’s the best choice for the job. His placement within the empire and his attachment being to the Blades makes him ideal for securing anything from the Drule. This mission is his test, if he fails we send someone better suited.”

 

Antok nods, “what of the other issue?”

 

Kolivan, lets out a tired sigh, and drags his hand down his face, “this isn’t exactly a good environment for one kit, much less two.”

 

Ulaz steps forward, “I’ve already accepted responsibility for Keith, I would like to accept responsibility for this one as well. He’s the reason we were able to secure Keith and two of our missing Blades, even though the members were lost.”

 

Kolivan frowns, “denied,.”

 

Ulaz is about to object when Kolivan cuts him off with a look. “No one denies the kit’s attachment to you, or your feelings, but already he’s been a distraction, to both of you.”

 

Even Antok flinches slightly, “you may remain Keith’s guardian, but Regris is old enough to be housed in the dorms, and start training to use his blade. They’ll be given a two phoeb adjustment period, but after that Regris will begin combat training, and Keith will return to his lessons and start focus training. Dismissed.”

 

With that the conversation is over, Antok and Ulaz leave the room, Antok lets himself grieve.

****

 

 

Ulaz returns to his quarters, larger than the dorms on the ship, they are attached to the primary medical office. Keith has been given Illyria’s old room, as she is, was, his direct junior on the medical staff it’s also attached to the facility, allowing Keith to remain close to Ulaz.

 

He can’t help but smile and think she would have wanted it that way. Her quarters are fairly sparse, but they have plenty of reminders of home. Including a substantial collection of preserved insects from different worlds. Ulaz had been worried about the morbidity of it with Keith, but the kit wanted to know what each one was, and then of course, everything about it.

 

Luckily, unlike most of the boy’s questions about life, the universe, and everything, xenobiology is one of Ulaz’s main fields of study. So he was able answer most of the questions. Anything he couldn’t answer was probably in the books that Illyria kept on her shelves. Books Keith was pouring over with Regris fulfilling his promise to fix the drone next to him.

 

Every so often Keith would ask Ulaz for help with a particularly sticky word, then Ulaz would have him reread the sentence.

****

 

 

Four phoebs in and Ulaz is regretting Keith’s rapid acquisition of language skills, since he’s had to read the reference books himself for the moments when the kid decides to quiz his dad on what he’s read.

 

It also means he’s been caught off guard with certain facts, like the frankly disgusting feeding and mating habits of the Diamanda Centipeetle.

 

Which led to an even more awkward conversation when Keith decided to try applying his budding biology knowledge to non-insectoid species. Much to Ulaz’s despair and Covax’s clear amusement.

****

 

 

Thanks to Regris the drone now follows Keith everywhere, and according to the complaints he’s received, has apparently been programmed to recognize certain phrases about Keith’s lineage and deliver surreptitious shocks to the offending party.

 

He may or may not have snuck Regris some of the parts he acquired to build his own tiny fleet. Nothing can be proven despite Kolivan’s clear desire to do otherwise. But then, only a portion of those drones were built from things Ulaz has access to, Antok has a much wider grasp of the base’s resources.

 

Though the drones have been summarily banned from the training arena after they mobbed Regris’ sparing partner.

****

 

 

Seven phoebs after the loss of the mobile outpost Ulaz comes into the room to find both Keith and Regris jumping up in alarm and his medical supplies all over the infirmary.

 

Keith is trying to hide a skinned knee and a bruise on his cheek, Regris has a bite on his arm and several scrapes. “What happened?” Ulaz uses the tone his own mothers used whenever he was in deep dregs.

 

Neither of the two say anything, “you can either tell me, or I can ground both of you from seeing each other for a movement, and trust me, Kolivan will make sure it sticks.”

 

Regris breaks the silence, “Keith wanted to train with me, so I said I’d try sparring.” Then he glares at Keith, “you fight dirty.”

 

“You’re bigger than me,” Keith replies as though that solves everything.

 

“You bit me,” Regris responds affronted.

 

Keith sticks is tongue out, and Ulaz roars, it’s not nearly as impressive as the other Blades, especially not Kolivan who could probably silence the imperial arena with his. But it’s enough to silence two squabbling kits. This was not a moment Ulaz wants to deal with by himself.

 

Fuck it this is not a moment Ulaz is dealing with by himself.

 

He calls Thace, luckily, given his relationship to his House, he’s given quite a lot of free time to assist with duties.

 

There will be a time when he’s expected to serve as a full soldier with no ties to House or family, it’s expected of all citizens. Until then Ulaz is going to have him pull his weight as a parent for as long as possible.

****

 

 

Antok stands in the corner listening to Ulaz’s attempts to dissuade Keith from trying to learn combat tricks.

 

Thace isn’t helping, Thace is instead pointing out all the reasons Keith should know how to defend himself. Antok agrees but he’s going to wait to voice it, he’s not Thace after all. Thace is practically Ulaz’s mate already, Antok has GAC on when Ulaz and Thace will make it official. It also means Thace’s the only one allowed to question Ulaz’s parenting decisions without fear of anything too drastic.

 

Thace looks to him, “Antok, you’ve been helping Regris learn defense, help me out here, you think Keith should be ready to use the blade too right?”

 

Suddenly being in this room does not seem like a wise decision Antok stumbles for an answer tail lashing in agitation.

 

The doors hiss Kolivan enters, takes a look at the scene in front of him. Frowns, then turns to leave, “Kolivan! Good timing you can back me up on this.” Ulaz has decided two can play this game.

 

Kolivan stops, turns back to them, walks over to Keith, picks the cub up, and says, “I will assist in taking Keith while you two discuss this. Mates should not argue in front of their cubs.”

 

Both Ulaz and Thace turn interesting and unflattering shades in their ears. Antok wishes he’d had the idea to grab Keith and run since Thace has returned to looking at him expectantly.

 

“He should learn how to move in response to a threat. Perhaps small drone training would be a benefit him in preparation to more intense training?”

 

Ulaz glares at him, “fine, I can clearly see I’m outnumbered here, but, let me make this completely clear. If I see him here in a professional capacity, I’ll be putting you two in here Ancestors help me.”

 

Thace winces, “isn’t a doctor supposed to heal?”

 

Ulaz glares at him, “yes, but a father is supposed to break the limbs of those who hurt his children.”

****

 

 

Kolivan is grooming Keith while they watch Regris go through his stances, he’s carefully teasing knots and snarls out of the boys hair. Keith letting out soft purrs, once he’s satisfied, and Keith’s hair shines like a newborn’s Kolivan goes about setting it into a braid. “It has gotten very unruly cub, are you sure you don’t want a cut?”

 

“No cutting; it makes my shirt sharp and itchy,” he says with a clear pout to his voice.

 

Kolivan chuckles remembering the update Antok had given him about having to get Keith to a shower because the hairs caught in his shirt had irritated him to the point of tears.

 

“It will still need to be trimmed, the bangs will impede your vision.”

 

Keith looks up at him, Kolivan has tried his best to fight the endearing quality of the boys, to resist thinking of him and Regris as his own cubs. It’s been a losing battle, and anytime either of them use that expression of constant awe and adoration that seems permanently branded into small children, he loses more ground.

 

Keith’s innocence, tested but not completely broken by his life. Regris’ stoic and responsible attitude that shatters whenever he’s allowed to indulge in his passion for machines. Or whenever his younger brother demands his attention.

 

Children are something Kolivan never truly considered, they never factored into his plans for the future. He’d been an officer, loyal to Zarkon to a fault, then he’d been disillusioned, seen, _inflicted_ , too much horror on too many innocents. Then came the Blades, none of these things left the time for a family.

 

But it’s calming, grounding, grooming the boy, teasing his fine straight black hair, or gently correcting Regris’ stances, watching the single minded quality they have when either is working on something.

 

He’s also mildly terrified of the two, he’d caught them drawing up plans for some kind of fighter class ship. Keith had somehow convinced Kira to let him try a flight simulator with her, apparently motivated by what should have been horror stories of Krolia’s antics in the cockpit.

 

According to Kira he’d been a natural, that as soon as he’s able to reach all the devices he’ll be moving fighters like he moves his own body.

 

Combine that with his older sibling’s mechanical ability, and then factoring in that Regris has managed to endear himself to Slav. It’s only a matter of time before the two of them either create the single most agile and deadly single ship in the universe, or blow themselves up trying.

 

He slowly begins to fold Keith’s hair over itself and finishing a long braid similar to his own, “you know, eventually you’ll need to learn to do this yourself.”

 

Keith just smiles, “only if you’re not around, I like it better when you do it.”

 

Once the braid is finished he squirms out of Kolivan’s hold and he and Regris begin to play fight.

 

Kolivan sighs, he’s attached, there’s no two ways around it. He’s attached and it will be his doom, he just knows it.

****

 

 

Keith opens a box on his seventh birthday, it contains the practice weapon used by all recruits, each is expected to learn and maintain the practice tool as though it were real.

 

“Aw quiznack!” Keith exclaims in clear joy.

 

Ulaz frowns, “language.”

 

“Sorry Da; does this mean I can start training with Regris now?” He asks hope filling his eyes, and all the adults in the room, which seems to be most of the base, are staring at Ulaz to see his response.

 

“It means I can start kicking your butt in the training hall now kitling,” Regris teases laughing as Keith tries to smack him with his present.

  
“Not in the lab you two, if either of you breaks any equipment your allowance is replacing it,” Ulaz is about ready to consider drinking, not caring what varga of the quintant it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Mourning: Second Confluence, Austin Wintory
> 
> Keith vs. Regris: Road of Trials, Austin Wintory
> 
> Sons of the Blades: Sunlit Earth, Kou Otani


	8. Joyride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions, education, and regret.

Thace walks into the infirmary, “Ulaz…” his voice is soft and slightly frail sounding.

 

Ulaz looks up from what he’s doing to see Thace standing there shuffling nervously.

 

“Something wrong?” Ulaz asks, then in a moment of small panic, “where’s Keith?”

 

Thace walks over to Ulaz, “he’s fine, Antok’s showing him stances.”

 

Ulaz frowns, he’s still not thrilled with the cub learning combat skills, even if he knows the necessity.

 

“Then why do you looks so serious?”

 

Thace’s face turns red and, _oh._ _Oh_ _no, not right now he isn’t._

 

“I was just thinking about what Kolivan said, and I know it was meant as a smart-ass comment.”

 

Ulaz turns around and glares at Thace, “no, you’re going to go out, find a mate to make your house proud and-”

 

Thace silences Ulaz by pressing his lips to the doctor’s, they stand there like that for what feels like an eternity, and simultaneously not nearly long enough.

 

“I want someone I can be proud to know, and to love. I trust you with my nephew, my son, will you let me trust you with myself?”

 

Dammit, what do you say to that? As far as Ulaz is concerned, you don’t say anything, you just hold on for dear life and kiss like it’s the end of the universe.

 

Antok and Kira walk in startling the new couple, the two Blades stare at them for a moment then Kira hands Antok a bag of GAC while scowling at the two of them. “Couldn’t have done this a week earlier?”

 

The two look at Antok, smugly counting out his winnings, Thace looks at his mate, “I hate our friends.”

 

Ulaz just shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, “yeah.”

 

“Let’s get new ones.”

 

“yeah.”

 

Keith and Regris walk in see their dads holding hands and both shout “finally!”

****

 

 

Kira’s taken Keith into the simulator on at least three more occasions over the course of the next deca-phoeb. That’s not counting the four additional times Antok has caught him sneaking in or out of the simulator on his own…

 

At first it seems that Keith learned his lesson after the third time and Kolivan bitched the cub out for recklessness.

 

The simulation scores however show a number of exponentially increasing scores with a variety of inappropriate words instead of names. Including, Kolivan notes with both annoyance and wry amusement, “Kolivans-Ass” the quintant after he’d yelled at Keith.

 

“Oh cub, you are very grounded.”

****

 

 

Regris is working on one of his drones when “star” Keith’s R8 floats in carrying Keith’s voice with it, “Regris, can you show me how to delete scores out of the simulator?”

****

 

 

On the fourth varga of the morning of his eighth birthday Keith runs into his dads’ room and immediately bounces on Thace and Ulaz. “You promised that if I can beat the drones I can start training with Regris and ANTOOOK,” he excitedly yells in a sing-song voice.

 

“Thace, your son wants something,” Ulaz grumbles burying his head deeper into the pillows.

 

“My son?” Thace frowns at his mate.

 

“He’s only my son _after_ role call,” Ulaz murmurs sleepily.

****

 

On Keith’s ninth birthday, Kolivan comes in to find that the top simulator score is occupied by “Keith-Fuckin-Kogane-Scrubs.”

 

He gets on one of the communicators, “Thace, I need to speak with _**your**_ child.”

 

“What’d he do this time?”

****

 

 

Since then Thace has taken him out for flights in one of the fighters when he’s available. It’s not enough, it’s never enough, having someone hold him back.

 

Either his uncles hands, the simulation sub-routines, or Kolivan, Keith is addicted, no, addicted isn’t the right word. There’s a feeling, like if he can just fly under his own power he can finally connect with that feeling he’s had since before he could walk.

 

That somewhere out there, there’s something waiting for him. Something important, bigger than him, bigger than the Blades, or even the Empire. All he needs to do is get into the cockpit on his own and reach out to touch it.

 

That’s when he makes his decision.

 

“Hey Regris,” he ambushes his brother outside the training ground.

 

“No,” Regris says, Keith pouts.

 

“Maybe I just want to talk to my favorite brother.”

 

Regris looks at him, “no, you want me to reprogram the simulator again. Or something else that will get Kolivan on my ass.”

 

“Language,” Keith taunts.

 

Regris is unmoved.

 

“Oh, c’mon, I promise I’ll be back before anyone knows anything, and I know you can help me because I saw Slav teaching you how to work with the fighters.”

 

Regris flinches, “only because I need to know for when they send me on missions.”

 

Keith just smiles, “you know, if I can show them that I can fly and fight they’ll have to send me on a mission too! Then you wont be stuck by yourself.”

 

That was the secret weapon, Regris is terrified of going on a mission alone and Keith knows that. Partially because he’s scared the Regris could not comeback as much as Regris is afraid of not coming back. They haven’t had any loss on the scale of the mobile outpost but people still leave, some come back, others don’t.

 

Covax has been confined to the infirmary until they can get a prosthetic, Keith remembers helping Ulaz change bandages and even do some of the more serious work. Keith has reminders everywhere, everyday that as much as he loves his family, as safe as he feels, this is the frontline of a war.

 

Regris sighs, “I’m going to regret this, they are going to ground me for like a deca-phoeb.”

****

 

 

Ulaz and Thace should have been suspicious, it’s Keith’s birthday and they’re being allowed to sleep in.

****

 

 

Regris bypassed the locks, then talked Keith through the manual override for the fighter’s systems and begins the process of opening the hanger doors. “Keith don’t get yourself killed please, otherwise dad’s gonna kill me. Both of them, and then Kolivan and Antok will do the same.”

 

Keith scoffs over the radio, “with the number of times I’ve done this either with dad, or in the simulator, if I die I deserve it.”

 

That doesn’t make Regris feel better, but what kind of enabler would he be if he acted responsible now?

****

 

 

Kira looks at her monitor, rechecks the data, has Slav check it, then calls Kolivan “uh, sir, one of our fighters just launched and appears to be doing a circuit around the radiation flares.”

****

 

 

Keith rounds the latest column of super-heated plasma, using the three bodies competing gravity wells to slingshot himself out to the edge of communication range then flicks the steering a uses the rest of the momentum to sail back. Only engaging the engines to stabilize himself otherwise he’s just riding the raw forces of physics.

 

He can feel it, that missing part of himself closer than ever.

 

Like the burning fire of the stars singing in his veins. Burning red quintessence, both within him and singing to him from across the universe. He almost thinks he could engage the hyper-drive and go right to it.

****

 

 

Kolivan scowls at the monitor, “hail that fighter.”

  
Then he looks to the noodle like figure to his left. “Slav, did you show Regris how to hot-wire a fighter?” Kolivan’s tone is, well, frosty would be too warm a word.

 

All Slav’s hands seem to search something to fiddle with, “in every reality I answer that question I get yelled at.”

 

Kolivan grinds his teeth together, “you can add this reality to the list.”

****

 

 

Keith lets the elation of flying chorus like a hymn through him until the communicator jolts to life and Kolivan’s voice comes through.

 

“Keith, if you aren’t back in that hanger in two doboshes so help me you will be confined to this base until you’re old enough to ship to House Hazar.”

 

“Ah quiznack,” Keith mumbles to himself.

****

 

 

Regris and Keith are stuck in the debrief room. Trying to follow at least three different lectures.

 

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!”

 

“You broke every code of conduct we have.”

 

“You didn’t bother asking, you just took, you showed complete disregard for us and yourself.”

 

“What were you trying to prove? That you aren’t ready for the added responsibility of missions? Because that’s what you proved to us.”

 

In the end Keith is confined to his studies, and his room for a phoeb, and he and Regris are only allowed to see each other during sparring sessions.

****

 

 

“Well, I hope you got what you wanted,” Regris brings down his practice blade and Keith dodges forward tripping Regris who somersaults to land on his feet.

  
Keith doesn’t pay attention to Regris’ words, since the flight he’s been hearing the red voice louder than ever. The instinct to hunt, to war, to avenge, the need to fight.

 

Also the need to follow, the voice is as enraged with him as he is with himself, for disobeying leaders he respects.

 

It demands the sparring though, craves the violence, even the contained violence of the practice ring.

 

It took a long time, but Keith is certain the voice is external to him. Part of him, but also apart from him.

 

He pins Regris, the two panting with exertion, “sorry Regris, I just, need to know what these feelings are.”

 

Regris tilts his head to the side, “you know hearing voices isn’t a good sign.”

 

“It’s not a voice,” Keith frowns, “more like a feeling but it’s like it’s only sort of mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Ulaz and Thace: Further Brian Tyler  
> Taking Flight: Karma Tales of the Abyss ost  
> Stars in my Veins: Heat Brian Tyler


	9. First Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's First Mission is a simple cargo run to an allied world, designed to go as smoothly as possible... So of course something has to go terribly wrong.

It took a long time, a lot of effort, and Keith actually using his words to tell Kolivan about the feelings he’d been having. His craving for that indescribable something out in the universe.

 

Kolivan had made him talk to Ulaz and Thace about it.

 

Kolivan has to admit he’s worried, what Keith told him is nothing short of terrifying. That whatever this is, it’s something so beyond any of their control, and that it would motivate Keith to act in such a reckless way.

 

Terrifying was the only real way to describe it.

 

In the end though Kolivan relented, he let Keith learn the flight paths around the system. He let the boy run them by himself.

 

He’s barely a kit, especially by the long lived Galra standards. Flying is in his blood, even beyond his mother. There’s something in his essence that’s only brought out when he’s flying. Kolivan can’t deny it, no matter how much he might want to. No matter how much, like Ulaz, he just wants the boy to stay safe in his room.

****

 

 

Thace moves through the cloying halls of his home, this place had once seemed like the ideal for a home. Himself, his sister, his cousins, all the people who were members of his House.

 

No one ever bothered him without his express permission. He’d always assumed that was just courtesy. Now he knows as one of the two direct scions it was fear. Fear that angering him would get them exiled, or worse.

 

That wasn’t how a House should rule, somewhere in the back of his mind a quote lingers, maybe it was something his grandfather had told him before he was crippled by their house’s bloodcurse. Maybe it was passed on by Krolia. “A king rules for his people, for without them he is nothing.”

 

Part of him still longs to introduce Keith to his childhood home, to the family. He knows that isn’t something the boy should be exposed to, the resentment of blood.

 

After deca-phoebs of planning, several favors, pieces of one of Drule’s many jealously guarded secrets. The quantum entanglement communicator, the most secure and reliable method of communication available. Finally they could rebuild, after four years and so much planning.

****

 

 

Two daca-phoebs after the incident with the fighter Kolivan decided Keith was finally ready for his first mission. He assigned Antok and Regris to go with him, it’s a simple cargo run to Olkarian. Hopefully it will also give Keith something that he’s starting to realize that all the blades need. Exposure to who they’re fighting for, the people to help,

 

Keith is a microcosm of the Blades, their determination, the single-minded devotion to their brothers, to their mission. Also their secrecy, their obliviousness to the world outside, Keith caught glimpses, the massacre of Regris’ home, the life he had with his father before coming to them. One brief trip to the space mall.

 

He’s still largely ignorant, even of his homeworld, he knows empirically that there’s a small blue planet orbiting a sun with a single moon. Just like he knows empirically that House Hazar is a part of him, that they are powerful and connected.

 

None of this is enough, none of it could prepare him for the world outside, for the races the Galra have enslaved, the people who will hate him for his fur and his eyes.

 

Even if they win, even if Zarkon falls, the Empire has left so many pieces to try and pick up.

 

Olkarian is an ally, it’s a peaceful world, one that understands the intricacies of technology, one they’ve trusted to finish the communications array with Slav.

****

 

 

“Alright Keith, just take it in gently,” Regris says, his voice distorted by their masks.

 

“Don’t be such a kitten,” Keith scoffs, “where’s your sense of adventure?”

 

Regris flicks a couple more switches to monitor communications and sensors, “smothered by my sense of self preservation, adjusting for atmospheric interference.”

 

Keith looks out over the massive sheer walls of rock ringing the planet, “once we pick up the package we should do a run through those mountains.”

 

“No,” Antok steps up next to them, “this is a diplomatic mission, we are here to strengthen ties to our allies and receive technology, not a joyride.”

 

Keith slouches even behind the mask he’s obviously pouting.

 

“Fiiiine, boring old people.” Antok’s tail twitches in amusement and Regris flicks his brother.

 

“What?” Keith asks, feigned innocence pervading his words, “ever since your first mission you have joined the ranks of boring old people Reg.”

 

Regris sighs, “if you weren’t currently flying I’d put you in a headlock brat. This is your first mission to so you’re about to join us.”

 

“Wrong,” Keith’s about to be a shit, Regris can feel it in his bones, “no matter how old I get I’ll never be as dull as you.”

 

“I’m changing the codes on your doors for the next movement you ass.”

 

Ketih banks sharply to the left bringing the craft into the atmosphere causing both his companions to curse, “you can try!”

 

Letting out a single whoop of delight he brings the craft in for a rapid but ultimately safe landing.

****

 

 

“Who thought it was a good idea to let him fly anything?” Regris gasps shuffling out of the transport.

 

“You opened the hanger for him,” Antok’s voice is flat but he’s clearly amused by Regris’ discomfort.

 

“Yeah, I was pretty expressly _**not**_ in the ship with the little psycho-adrenaline junkie.” Regris snarls back at his commanding officer.

 

Antok just chuckles when Keith jumps off the roof of the ship screaming, “ANCESTORS OF FLIGHT ARE WITH ME!”

 

Antok catches the boy and places him on the ground, “settle.”

 

“That was certainly an impressive landing,” a female Olkari says at the forefront of a group of the aliens.

 

“Void yeah it was!” Keith shouts with pride.

 

Regris groans, “don’t encourage him, his ego’s big enough as is.”

 

“Hey you guys are magic tech wizards right? Can you do anything about the engines? They’re a little sluggish and the controls don’t respond quite as fast as I’d like.” Keith’s talking a mile a minute.

 

She raises an eyebrow at Antok, Regris just groans.

 

“Ignore the cub Ryner, it is his first mission so he’s a bit overenthusiastic,” Antok says grasping her arm in greeting.

 

“Believe it or not I do understand the exuberance of youth Antok.” She laughs turning to Keith and Regris, one whose giggling with adrenaline the other who’s still looking a little green beneath the mask.

 

“Why don’t you two go get something to eat while I give Antok a full update on your cargo?”

 

“Food! C’mon Regris, you can be sick later.” He dives forward pulling his brother after him.

****

 

 

Ryner shows Antok how the communicators work, “we’ve designed them to interface with just about any technology, so you can use the chips to hijack Empire command arrays.”

  
Antok nods before his gaze is drawn to a loud bang, Regris and Keith have apparently joined a group of Olkari youth and are making nuisances of themselves.

  
His tail lashes in concern and Ryner smiles, “I never would have guessed the Blades were desperate enough to recruit children.”

 

Antok growls “they- they are unique circumstances.”

  
Ryner waves him off, then pulls herself up on a crate next to him, “I’m only teasing, those two are very different from what we’ve seen from Zarkon’s conscripted minors. It’s clear they are loved.”

 

Keith’s decided to forgo his mask showing his purple stripped face to all Olkarion, Antok winces a little. “The kit is still too reckless.”

 

Ryner hums slowly crafting some metal into a couple small items. “He is still young, and he has good teachers, I’m sure you’ll be proud of who he becomes.”

 

Antok’s tail coils a bit, “I am already proud of him. I know his fathers are too.”

 

“You don’t include yourself in that?”

 

Antok can feel his face heat up, “I think the whole of the Blades considers those two ours.”

 

She pats his shoulder and lets the small toy, shaped like one of the depictions of a Voltron lion take flight. It alights on Antok’s shoulder and makes a small roar.

 

“Alright kits!” Antok shouts, “we need to return to base now,” both of the kits in question and the small army of Olkari children all groan in chorus.

 

“We shall visit again one day,” Antok assures.

 

“Not too long I hope,” Keith says reactivating his mask.

 

“I hope not Keith it was lovely having you two here,” Ryner says from next to Antok.

 

“You only say that because you do not live with them,” Antok teases.

 

“I’m doing a triple loop for that Antok!” Keith shouts charging for the ship.

 

For once Regris doesn’t comment, too enamored with the small lion on Antok’s shoulder.

 

“This was a gift kit, so please do not try and take it apart,” Antok deadpans, Regris’ thoughts written all over him.

****

 

 

Once in orbit Regris has his attention fully on his duties, Antok is sagging in one of the benches, Keith had made good on his threat.

 

“You just wanted to show-off,” Regris grumbles from next to him.

  
Keith is shameless, “true, but the fact that it annoyed Antok made it better.”

 

“I am going to tell Kolivan to cancel your flight training next quintant for that.” Antok says from his perch.

 

However before they can make the jump to hyperdrive a battlecruiser exits. A general message plays over the communicators. “This is High Commander Mogor of the Galra Empire, this system and all it’s resources are officially under our jurisdiction.”

 

The automated turrets on the side of the cruiser lock on to their shuttle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> First Mission: Crossroads Tom Day
> 
> Olkarion Celebration: Never Ending Adventure Tomohito Nishiura
> 
> Mogor’s Invasion: Mordor theme Howard Shore


	10. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mogor's trap and the first battle for Olkarion.  
> (Warning angst and graphic depictions of violence.)

The ship’s warning bells scream at the group and Keith immediately banks hard as the projectiles rain down on them. Antok’s shouting orders, “Regris, scramble their systems, Keith prepare to jump to hyperdrive!”

 

“Our scramble isn’t working, they’re using a new House Hazar frequency, it’ll take time before I can decode it.”

 

“No can do sir!” Keith shouts, “I need space or the jump will either go off course or rip the ship apart.”

 

Antok curses colorfully in both Galran and Altean, Keith snickers, “I’m telling Ulaz you said that when we get home.”

 

Antok stops and stares at the boy, the shuttle is rocked by the impact of hit. “Buckle up guys, we’re going down hard.”

 

The alarms going crazy redouble their efforts, “one of our engines is overheating, if we don’t slow down it’s going to blow.”

 

Keith lets loose his own colorful string of words the guttural hiss of angry Galran mixing with the throat sounds of Gamorran, “if we slow down then we’re getting our asses blasted into quintessence.”

 

Keith pulls up on the throttle hard, “Regris when I give the signal divert all shields to port and eject the engine.”

 

Regris stares at him, “you? No! That’s crazy! I know you’re completely insane but that’s!?”

 

Keith ignores him and begins drawing the ship into a controlled roll, “NOW!”

Despite his protest Regris does exactly as Keith asks, the ship is rocked by an explosion but the blast ripples across there shields and pushes them out of uncontrolled decent. Keith slams the reverse thrusters as hard as he can.

 

“Come on, come on, come on, you can do it baby I believe in you” he murmurs to himself, there’s red-light reflecting in his eyes.

****

 

 

Sub-commander Ligur stares down at the reads of their ship dispassionately, “shuttle eliminated sir. Do you suppose that’s an adequate show of force to the Olkari or should we mount an immediate invasion?”

 

Mogor watches the light flare from the exploding shuttle, “take the frigate and a crew of sentries to the surface, if any of the Olkari give you trouble shoot them. If they resist raze their cities to glass.”

 

Ligur salutes, “vrepit sa, High Commander.”

 

Once he departs Mogor makes a call, “well it would seem you are correct, there are rebels within the Olkari your Grace. They had my House’s codes, and had you not so generously provided a cipher of your own we likely would have lost them.”

 

Lady Dorma takes a sip of whatever decadent beverage is fashionable, and Mogor has to actively suppress the urge to sneer. The soft parasites of the High Houses know nothing of battle.

 

“As expected, you will uphold your end of the bargain yes?” She asks her tone confident and business-like.

 

Mogor swallows his disdain, this is the woman who’s managed to indebt every house in some capacity. The only people who aren’t under her economic thumb are Zarkon, his witch, and possibly Lotor. “Indeed your Grace, my nephew Prorok was recently given a command post in the central quadrant. I warn you he will expect nothing short of excellence.”

 

Dorma makes a noise like this is inconsequential, “Thace knows his duty to our House, and he knows the consequences of disappointing me.” There’s a jab to her comment, one that taunts Mogor to dare speak out against her.

 

“If that’s all you require High Commander, I have other business to which I must attend.” He grits his teeth feeling a small pressure in his chest.

 

“Of course Archduchess, by your leave.” The communication line goes dead, “bitch,” Mogor snarls.

****

 

 

The shuttle hits the water of a small lake sailing across the surface tension before coming to rest on the shore.

 

“Everyone alright?” Keith asks, Regris groans but gives him a thumbs up, Antok gingerly holds his arm.

 

“A possible break I’m afraid, Regris, check the cargo.”

 

Regris nods and does as ordered, while Keith grabs their medical kit and begins checking Antok’s arm.

 

“Mask,” he says, Antok deactivates the mask and raises an eyebrow at the kit.

  
“Don’t give me that look, I have to make sure you’re not at risk of going into shock.” He pushes Antok’s clearly swollen arm, Antok hisses in pain, “yes, broken, I don’t know how bad. Regris when you’re done over there get me the flex cast.”

 

Keith and Regris work with silent efficiency, a stark contrast to their normal mannerisms. Antok wonders if it’s a coping strategy, or if this is the side of them Ulaz has come to know in the infirmary. Professional and quick.

 

“Alright,” he says pushing his thoughts down, “if the empire is here they’ll be sending a culling force to the planet’s surface. We can probably hitch a ride to the frigate and take that out.”

 

“That was Mogor’s ship,” Keith says, cold creeping into his voice, a fury that Antok didn’t realize the boy was actually capable of. “I recognize the Balor crest, the cipher they’re using was Hazar, if dad didn’t know about it then that means it was either grandam that gave it to them or it was stolen.”

 

Regris puts his arm on Keith’s shoulders, “it’s Mogor’s personal ship then the blades he stole will still be on it wont they?” They both stare at Antok.

 

“No,” Antok says, “whether what any of you say is true or not is inconsequential, we need to hijack the frigate and get these back to base.”

 

“They’ll shoot us down if we try to leave the atmosphere! And what about the Olkari?” Keith and Regris shout, Antok’s head is still buzzing and he can’t tell which cub made which objection.

 

“The Olkari are not defenseless, and if we take the Frigate out while in the planet’s atmosphere then make the jump to hyperdrive as soon as we break it we’ll escape. This is not a fight we can win.”

 

The two glower.

 

“Remember, if we are patient and keep our heads we will find our answer.” Antok says.

****

 

 

Luckily they don’t have to wait very long since the frigate has started laying waste to one of the Olkari cities when they arrive. It focused on the defenses and laid them low allowing it to begin breaking resistance.

 

“We must hurry, they’ll be putting up a solar barrier in order to make their forward outpost without fear of reprisal.”

 

The three make for the interior quickly. Hoping on board a transport that’s being carried to the frigate, surreptitiously hiding their own cargo among the supplies being “commandeered by the empire.”

****

 

 

“You were right sir, the rebels took the bait, more than that, there’s an unknown energy signature coming from the cargo they’ve snuck aboard.”

 

Mogor smiles, “excellent, wait until they’re in the hold then bring them up to me.”

****

 

 

Once the transport enters the frigate’s hold Keith hops off, “Keith what are you?”

 

Keith shushes him, “there’s a maintenance shaft over here, I’m going to do some reconnaissance.”

 

Once he’s out of sight a field of energy springs up around Regris and Antok.

 

“Welcome rebel vermin, High Commander Mogor hopes you’ll enjoy your stay with us.”

 

Antok curses, and Keith claps a hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaming, visions of the escape from the mobile outpost seared into his mind.

****

 

 

“Wait, sir, there’s only two, our cargo scans detected three. One’s missing.”

 

Mogor smiles broader, “bring them anyway, we shall see if these rebels possess the weakness of sentimentality, or if they have discipline. Either way I will enjoy taking them apart.”

****

 

 

The frigate takes off and enters the hold of the battlecruiser. Keith immediately makes for the communications hub. “Reg, walk me through an overload,” Regris responds quietly while waiting for Mogor and his sentries to come for them.

****

 

 

Mogor arrives sickening smile plastered across his face and deactivates Antok and Regris’ masks, then he recoils. “Half-breeds, no wonder you decided to turn on your own.” Mogor spits, then he leans in, “well well, such a young one, you know, there was a world I visited not too long ago, one with half-breeds of similarly poor stock to you.”

 

He turns Regris’ head, and examines him and Antok, “pity the only one of worth is injured, I could have gotten a handsome sum from you for the arena.”

 

“Ah but then maybe your compatriot will be better equipped for that trial.”

 

There’s an explosion and the lights flicker, Ligur’s voice broken by static reaches them. “s- -plosion, - hub, no -ication possible.”

 

Mogor roars out several commands to his sentries, then rips the communication device out of Regris’ ear. “Listen to me well vermin, you are outnumbered, outclassed, and if your companions are any indicator, out bred. Surrender and I may be merciful.”

****

 

 

Keith’s already moved on though, through the air ducts into the bowels of the ship, towards the reactor. He stops when he hears Regris cry out in pain. “You test my patience rebel, doing so is a poor choice for your comrades health.”

 

Keith curses, “alright Mogor, I’ll bite, I’ll comeback to the hold, just, don’t hurt them any more.”

****

 

 

Keith enters the hold, mask deactivated, Mogor scoffs, “children, you really thought children would stop us? You rebels are truly getting desperate, Lord Zarkon does not have pity, and neither do I, and child soldiers are only good for that, pity.”

 

“Unless you truly don’t have anymore worthwhile warriors,” Mogor sneers, digging his claws into Antok’s broken arm, “oh, but your breeding kitling, that is interesting, I wonder if even a half-blood reject like you would be of worth to that stuck up Dorma.” Mogor emphasizes his point by twisting Antok’s arm harder finally earning a scream from the man, something Mogor seems to shudder with pleasure from.

 

Something inside Keith snaps, all he can see is red, all he can hear is the song of the hunt, his blade ignites with scarlet tinged violet and the luxite sheers through Mogor’s armor and flesh, biting to the bone of his arm.

 

The High Commander howls in fury, spittle forming at his mouth, he brings his fire arm up but Keith’s blade is quicker he bisects the barrel and then cuts at Mogor’s legs while dodging between them.

 

The larger Galra screams, pressure in his chest building, his blood pounding in his veins, his jaw aches and his arms are numb. The adrenaline coursing through his body gives him the speed to grab Keith’s leg violently twist and toss the cub across the hold.

 

He drags Keith out of the pile of broken containers, a piece of twisted metal going through his arm, his ears are ringing, _probable concussion_ he thinks distantly, but he smiles looking to where his blade is buried in the generator holding Antok and Regris’ bindings.

****

 

 

“What are you smiling at!?” Mogor’s about to slam his head into the ground when Antok’s blade slices through his shoulder, while Regris hamstrings him.

 

He howls in pain and rage and confusion dropping Keith and backhanding Antok and kicking Regris. Before he can take more than a few steps he collapses hand flying to his chest, the pressure becoming unbearable, too much with his other injuries. He looks up to see the half-breed cub standing over him holding a piece of sharpened metal, probably torn from a part of the ship.

 

The cub screams bringing the metal down on his face.

****

 

 

Keith doesn’t know how long he stood there bringing the piece of metal up and down as hard as he can, long enough for his voice to go hoarse from screaming. Long enough for his weapon to slice deep into his own hand. Long enough for Antok to recover and take it from him and hold him while he sobs into the larger Galra’s shoulder. Long enough for Mogor’s face to stop looking like a face, to stop being the thing he’s had nightmares about since he watched Illyria die, since the massacre.

****

 

 

Distantly Keith knows his bombs detonated, he must have told Antok because they launch the frigate and escape the battlecruiser’s destruction. He hears but doesn’t internalize Antok sending a message to the Olkari about the dreadnought’s destruction. All he can really understand is Regris’ arms tightly wrapped around him.

 

Then he remembers his dad carrying him to the infirmary, carrying him home, he remembers his dad crying. He remembers the face of another dad, also tear streaked, this time when he reaches out to that face he’s pulled closer not pushed away.

****

 

 

Watching over the reconstruction efforts across Olkarion, clearing the debris that fell from space and repairing the damage left by the frigate, Lubos shudders, that was one Galra ship. Now the empire has noticed them, and it certainly wont be the last.

****

 

 

Haxus enters the bridge and bows before Sendak, “sir, your father was killed by rebels in the Olkari system. You are now the head of House Balor, Lord Zarkon offers his congratulations and condolences.”

 

Sendak nods, to his lieutenant before turning back to the Red Lion safe in it’s sphere, the activity that had brought him to it quieted. “Just what did you sense to rile you up like that? Haxus, try to identify the rebels that slew High Commander Mogor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Mogor’s Attack: Nazgul March, Howard Shore
> 
> Blades vs. Mogor: Awkward Justice, Tales of the Abyss ost
> 
> Stolen Future: Suna to Shi No Ballad, Desert Punk ost


	11. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's at a pivotal crossroads, warning, angst incoming.

Keith and Regris both try attacking Antok, Regris going for his shoulders with Keith aiming for his legs. The older Galra sidestepped one and rebukes the other.

 

Regris and Keith look at each other in silent understanding, and start a similar approach only for Keith to feint behind Antok as he tries to dodge Regris. Tripping the larger opponent, Antok looks up to find two practice blades pointed at him.

 

He smiles at them and they help him up, only for Antok to immediately scoop them both up and swing them over his shoulders.

 

“You two work well together, but you still need work on moving more efficiently on your own.”

 

Regris lands on his feet, at almost eighteen and near full grown he’s considerably taller than his brother who is still able to perch on Antok’s shoulders.

 

“Keith, you’re too aggressive, you rush into battle without analyzing, your instincts are good but they need to be tempered by patience. Regris, you have the opposite problem, too focused on finding an opening you don’t move and become a sitting target.”

 

The two roll their eyes, “sure, fine, but we still beat you today. You owe me a new AI cortex for my new project.”

 

Keith puts his head on Antok’s, “and I get to fly one of the fighters out to the edge of the system right?”

 

Antok chuckles at both the boys, “yes, and yes, just don’t give Kolivan a heart attack please, and that’s directed to both of you.”

 

Leaving the arena they see Thace waiting for them, he looks grim. “Keith; I need to speak with you for a moment.”

 

Keith pales, “I didn’t do it this time I swear!”

 

Thace’s expression breaks into an exasperated yet fond smile, “oh my wonderful cub, I have no doubt that I would be giving you an earful. I’ll have to leave that to my mate.”

 

His face returns to the solemn expression, “I’m leaving, I have been accepted into Prorok’s garrison and the move is nearly finalized. I’ll be on his command dreadnought for I don’t know how long.”

 

Keith bites the inside of his cheek, his father’s going away, again, Thace has always had to leave for long absences, but this is different he can feel it. Communication will be very few and go directly to Kolivan.

 

He nods, pushing the bile, the tears down, he’s learned well to control his emotions, and his shifts. He’s probably getting a little purple around the edges though.

 

“Do,” he clears his throat coughing the break in his voice away, “do you know for how long?”

 

Thace shakes his head, “I’ll be in the Central Command quadrant, so unless something serious happens in Hazar then it could be for as long as ten or twenty deca-phoebs.”

 

Keith can feel his heart break a little, he hugs his father, “when do you have to leave?”

 

Thace puts his arm around Keith, “tonight unfortunately, Emperor Zarkon does not believe in advance notice.”

 

Keith doesn’t go flying that evening, he sees his dad off, then he cries into Ulaz’s arms and he knows his dad is crying too.

****

 

 

Prorok looks out over the two battlecruisers that are part of his fleet in addition in to his flagship. “Lieutenant Thace has arrived sir,” Prorok dismisses his attendant.

 

Thace knows of Prorok, ambitious, not particularly clever, but given to boughts of vicious recklessness that have served to advance him rapidly. Zarkon doesn’t care about the body counts so long as the goal is achieved, there’s no honor to it. It’s also so contrary to Galra nature that it’s clear to anyone willing to look that Zarkon isn’t a Galra anymore. Some quintessence powered abomination more likely.

 

Still he salutes, and holds it until his arm aches, Prorok hasn’t given him permission to be at ease, this is a test, to see if the Hazar whelp is able to serve with the bruisers of the military.

 

“At ease lieutenant,” Prorok slowly turns, and Thace keeps his face neutral, “my uncle was a great man, and a great soldier lieutenant. He was cut down in a dishonorable fashion, I have to wonder if it was really rebels, that cancer of the Empire. Or if it was a plot, you Hazar would love to stop the rise of Balor to the Inner Houses, and we are almost there.”

 

Thace keeps his expression calm, but he remembers, he remembers Keith’s hands, he remembers Antok’s arm, he remembers his _ **son**_ crying and terrified. Forced to take the life of a monster to save his family, and still having to live with the nightmares of it. “What end would it serve us? Balor owed Hazar a considerable debt, still owes several minor debts, it would benefit us more for Balor to replace, say, Drule.” His voice is even but clipped.

 

Prorok sneers at him, “oh yes, except the Drule will not fall so easily, not as cozy as they are with the witch and her druids.”

 

He seems to consider that, “though, that could be something to remember...”

 

“Sir?” Thace questions.

 

Prorok waves him off, “nothing, I’ll leave it to Sendak and her Grace Lady Dorma to figure that out. We are part of Central Command, there is only one person who’s opinions we should be concerned with.”

 

Thace salutes again as is proper, “Emperor Zarkon, may his reign last into eternity, verpit sa.”

 

Prorok smiles, “vrepit sa.”

****

 

 

Hagar looks out over the small fleet of frigates bringing supplies and slaves through the various docks of House Drule’s flagship. It is one of the few moments that she leaves Zarkon’s side, but the research she is about to undertake is required for the good of the Empire.

 

“High Priestess,” a voice rough but silken, worn with age almost equal to her own. “It is rare to see you leave the Central Command ship. To come here yourself is a great honor for us.”

 

From anyone else such statements would be disingenuous brown-nosing. But the Galra before her, dowager Queen Merla, one of the last monarchs from outside House Daibazaal. A woman of peerless curiosity, a bond between them.

 

“I presume this is in regard to your latest project?” Hagar nods.

 

Merla summons a holographic projector, “yes, it is a fascinating concept, a perfect alchemy between your druid’s mysticism and our own biological and technical achievements.”

 

The images on screen are not promising, “unfortunately, even if we harness the quintessence of another life in the creation of these prosthetic limbs they still burn out the hosts more often then not. It would seem only the most determined and wrathful souls survive the process.”

 

Hagar reviews the data with her companion, “has there been any indication as to bloodline or species differences.”

 

Merla makes a small contemplative noise, “unfortunately such data doesn’t exist, there are too few xenobiology experts among the Galra houses. Though records indicate a few in the fringes of our society. I could put out a call to them.”

 

Hagar nods, “do it; this could well be our greatest weapon, the thing that prevents the use of Galra soldiers and assures our dominance not simply our survival.”

 

Merla bows, but Hagar holds up a hand, “additionally, if wrathful souls are what you need, you may make use of the Imperial Arena to gather subjects.”

 

Merla’s eyebrows rise, and she bows deeply, “to have both you and Zarkon’s approval for this project is both humbling and invigorating.”

****

 

 

Ulaz collapses onto a chair in the infirmary lounge, the orders came through, House Drule, one of the most infamously powerful and secretive Houses in the Empire. One of the Inner three in addition to the High Seven, is looking for experts in xenobiology, a field next to no pure-blooded or even high blooded Galra studies beyond the art of taking them apart.

 

Of course Kolivan would want him for this mission. Of course he would need to take it, whatever Drule is planning is big, and they need all the assistance they can get. All the information, knowledge or death is the way of the Blades. Always will be, he knew this when he signed up.

 

The doors hiss, heralding the return of his son, and Ulaz braces himself for the screaming match that is a certainty.

****

 

 

In the depths of the system Keith stares out into the empty voice while his fighter, stolen from the bay, he didn’t even need Regris’ help this time, drifts on the unseen currents of gravity.

 

He can feel them like a sailor knows the wind, still all he can think about are his eyes burning, the loneliness aching at his core, the rawness in his throat.

  
It had been the fight to end them all, he and Ulaz have fought before, no child doesn’t fight with their parent, but it had always been a two way street. Ulaz scolded sure but he only ever yelled when he was scared that Keith would get hurt, and now that Keith’s able to actually think, or maybe because he can only think out here drifting in the dark. He knows that that’s exactly what happened, Ulaz was terrified that not only was Keith hurting (he is) but that Ulaz himself was responsible (again he is.)

 

The worst part of it, he can’t blame his father’s choice. Either of them, the war is bigger than him, bigger than the Blades, his family. It still hurts, he thinks about the times he’d slept between his fathers, even as recently as a few phoebs ago when Mogor’s face burned in his dreams.

 

The time Ulaz spent fifteen doboshes straight berating Thace for buying Keith caltrops, all because he’d stepped on a few legos.

 

Rage he knows, rage has fueled him hot, and red for his whole life, the song of the hunt, of battle, even now he can feel it echoing across the void.

 

This? This isn’t something anger can help, this is sorrow, tomorrow, and next movement, and next phoeb, and deca-phoebs from now rage will serve him. The anger of this moment honed by the calm Antok’s tried to teach him into a blade, one as familiar to him as his mother’s. For now, Keith just lets himself drift.

 

Kolivan’s voice echoes through the comm channel, “kit. It’s been three vargas, I think we’d all feel a little better if you’d come back now.”

 

Keith wants to scream at Kolivan, those missions are assigned by him, his fathers accepted them, but Kolivan gave them.

 

However the hoarse whisper of Kolivan’s “please;” makes him pause.

 

Kolivan is asking not ordering.

 

Keith goes home.

****

 

 

“Why?” Is all he says when he enters Kolivan’s office.

 

“Because we need them, they aren’t the first.” Kolivan looks weary, and drained.

 

“They might not come back,” Keith’s not issuing a retort, there’s no heat, just resignation.

 

“Yeah, it’s true of any mission, even the ones we deem small and simple,” Kolivan still hasn’t forgiven himself for Keith’s first mission.

 

Ulaz and Thace forgave him phoebs ago, but none of the men has gotten back to their previous rapport.

 

“Can, can I see their briefs? You don’t have to give me the locations,” he’d chase after them if he had them, both of them know this. Regris refused to break into the files for him.

 

Kolivan nods, “if you have questions about it just ask.”

****

 

 

Keith’s been spending more time training with Antok now, he’s still one of the base’s best medics, learning at his father’s lap how to treat and set injuries and sickness.

 

He’s learning strategy from Kolivan, playing out military simulations with him. He’s learning patience, it doesn’t come naturally to him.

 

He’s meditating, learning more about Galran history, as well as studying the files on human anatomy, and culture that were sent with him during his exodus from earth.

 

He’s also learning to control his shifts, he rarely speaks with the rest of the base outside of training. When he does it’s to ask for resources.

 

Regris and he argue more, Regris says he’s gotten cold since their dads left. Keith responds with heat and fury. The two haven’t spoken in a movement.

 

When they do speak again it’s brief and awkward, and Antok has them beat each other senseless in the training ring. They patch things up, Keith confides in Regris, but doesn’t slow down.

 

A phoeb after his fourteenth birthday, one that went unremarked save small individual efforts consisting of Regris, Covax, Antok, Kolivan, and a few others, Keith manages to finally beat Kolivan in a simulation. One arrayed against him, he’s called into Kolivan’s office at the end of the movement.

 

Kolivan locks the door and activates his privacy shielding, sound proofing the room and killing the electronics within. Keith shifts to his Galran form so he can see the commander.

 

“Keith, I understand you can control your shifts yes?”

 

Keith nods, “yes sir.”

 

“You have also grown a great deal in the two years since, since Mogor.”

 

Keith nods again, his throat still tightens but there’s no outward grimace.

 

Kolivan sighs deeply, bracing himself, “I think I owe you the full truth Keith, because we need you, in the same capacity we need your fathers. But to do this I need to tell you how you came to us, and about your mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack  
> Enter Merla: Palpatine Suite, John Williams
> 
> Absence and Loss: Commandment, Kou Otani
> 
> Leaving Home: Licht Und Schatten, Yutaka Yamada (Yes I am book ending this fic with this song)


End file.
